My Immortal
by inuyasha-angel2004
Summary: (COMPLETE)The jewel is complete and Kagome returns to her time to fulfil a promise. 5 years later, her love for a certain hanyou drives her back, but something's happened. Something bad...
1. Default Chapter

**_Prologue   
_**  
Her heart stopped. Her breath seemed to catch in her throat. Every muscle in her being tensed and twitched at the sight of her friend. Her best friend being pulled through the spirit shield. His body lit up with pink jolts of energy, sending blood splattering throughout the place. His hold to the gigantic fang in the demon's heart never failed to cling. The cursed demon, Naraku, hissed and cried out in pain as the resilient hanyou reached through with his free hand and pulled the nearly completed Shikon No Tama from his forehead. Never in all the conflicts and confrontations had Naraku used the jewel on himself, which led the young, observant miko to one conclusion...he was scared. The group had backed him into a corner, his minions no longer capable of doing his dirty work. The group made up of a hanyou, a miko, a kitsune, a fire cat demon, a monk, and an exterminator. At that moment, all the pain subdued. At that moment, everything was suddenly worth it. The betrayals, the deaths, the love, the hate...it all seemed to intertwine into this one second of triumph. Naraku's body dissipated into what he was truly seen as. Slime. The hanyou fell to his knees in a puddle of his own blood, every breath stinging his tattered, miasmic lungs.

"We did it..." He managed to strangle out as the worn group came together around him. He lifted his hand, revealing the tiny, cracked orb that has caused so much pain...so much grief. In the same instance...so much love. The three shards that were in the possession of the miko were...all that remained. The battle had been won, but the war...was far from over.


	2. Gone

"Kagome, how's your arm?" The delicate little kitsune asked, seating himself next to her. She ran her fingers across the tight bandage on her forearm and winced at the sting it left.

"It's fine. I'll be better in no time." Her words faded lower as she laid a hand on the trembling hanyou in front of her.

"And InuYasha?" Sango questioned, entering the small hut. Kagome eyed the exterminator and the monk falling in behind her as memories flooded her troubled mind. She tried to smile as her shaky words drifted out.

"His...um...fever has come down and the wounds are beginning to heal. He just needs some well deserved rest. I think he'll be fine."

"He always is." Miroku reassured, taking a seat next to the old village priestess. A smile curved onto the young miko's weary features. Her friends. She sighed heavily, recalling the adventures they had encountered over the past two years and now...it was over. Their mission was done. Their journey ending. What now? She could stay, but what of her family? She intently gazed at InuYasha as a moan passed over his dry lips. What about him? Her heart throbbed in pain with the mere thought of leaving him.

"He was almost purified."

"Huh?" Kagome turned with question filled eyes to the old woman now kneeling next to the hanyou.

"The spirit shield...he was almost purified. That is why his wounds are taking so long to heal. It drained him of the last ounce of strength he had." Kaede spoke with such wisdom, that which comes with growing older. The miko nodded in understanding, pressing a cold rag to his forehead. Kaede watched her in both awe and sympathy. "What ales ye, child?" Kagome flinched at the question and tried to brush it off. "Kagome..."

"Oh, it's nothing."

"Please, do not lie to me. I know ye well enough to see that ye are troubled."

"I don't...I just don't want it to be over." The young girl sobbed, placing her hands on her knees and lowering her head. Her strangled words snatched the attention of everyone in the room, including the seemingly unconscious hanyou. "I've gotten used to having you all in my life. You have taught me so much. You all have shown me friendship..." She gently placed a hand on the exterminator's shoulder, "...wisdom..." She turned to the old priestess, "...compassion..." She kneeled to gather the fox child in her arms, "...self defense..." She smirked at the perverted   
monk, "...and...love..." She gingerly place her fingers on the hanyou's cheek, feeling him flinch at her touch. "You guys have become a habit."

"One that you'll have to break." InuYasha pushed himself to sit, clutching his abdomen to subdue the pain before it overtook him. His golden eyes traveled around the room, stopping for mere heartbeats on each of his friends. Yes, _his_ friends. Him, a hanyou. An outcast. One that was destined to be alone. A fear in the eyes of humans, a weakening in the bloodline of demons. For once, he was glad not to be alone. He hadn't been since she stumbled into his life. Kagome. That girl was his life. A figure that forever would be etched into his heart. She alone had brought down every defensive wall that he had built throughout his dark life. But now, it was over. She would leave. As beautifully as she had came, she would go. "Kagome, come with me." He clutched the wall and slowly pulled himself to stand.

"InuYasha!" Kagome was instantly at his side, pleading with him to stay still. He satisfied her concerns, leaning on her for support as they inched outside. Her companions watched in sorrow, knowing he would return...alone. InuYasha walked slowly with Kagome at his side, hoping that the closer they got, the further away the well would be. He didn't want her to go, but he knew it would be for the best. She had her family, her friends, her 'tests'. That was the time she was meant to reside in. As the beat-up, wooden passage came into view, he felt his chest tighten and his stomach wrench. Kagome stopped abruptly a few feet from her departure point, ceasing the hanyou next to her. She turned to face him, uncertainty echoing through her chocolate eyes. InuYasha dropped his head, fighting back the tears he refused to let fall. He had only cried in front of her once, and that weakness was to remain hidden from her at this point. It would only make it harder...

"InuYasha..." Her voice was a whisper, barely audible to even the delicate senses of the hanyou. He brought his eyes back up to meet her own tear filled orbs. His heart skipped a beat as she brought the jewel from her pocket. "This is it..." Her trembling hand brought up the three remaining shards. She wanted to throw them...to break the jewel again, so that she could stay. Stay with her friends...with him. Putting her thoughts aside, she raised the jewel and pressed the shards firmly against it. A bright, illuminating light erupted, sending shockwaves through the pair almost knocking them down. It was done. The light faded, leaving one complete jewel in the small hand of a young schoolgirl. She raised her head, searching him for any kind of reassurance. She found none. His trembling, unsteady hands clamped onto her waist as he sat her on the edge of the well, his mouth not cooperating with the words that ran throughout his mind.

"Kagome, I..."

"Don't say it. Please, give me that much. Leave me with some hope that maybe one day I'll see you again. Don't say goodbye." The tears that had engulfed her eyes now flowed freely, drowning her pale cheeks as the rain began to fall. He nodded in compliance, keeping his eyes  
lowered to her lap. She gently moved his hand and reached in her pocket. Pulling out a red handkerchief, she pressed it to her lips and then to his, feeling his entire body shake behind her small hand. This was it, she'd never see him again. Stroking the side of his face, she smiled and placed the handkerchief in his clawed hand. He leaned into her touch as it pulled away. He watched her fade from sight, drowning in a blue light that would carry her through time...back home. Where she belonged. He let a single tear fall as he opened the cloth in his hand. Inside laid the jewel and a small, folded piece of paper.

"She's really gone, isn't she?"

InuYasha turned, the rain soaking him, to see his friends gingerly approaching. He nodded with the best smile he could offer. All heads lowered in unison, feeling a sense of loss.

"Sango..."

The exterminator raised her head to the source of the shaky voice. InuYasha handed her the paper, his eyes silently pleading with her to read. She reluctantly took hold of the folded note, turning as Miroku nodded. Taking a deep, shaky breath, she opened the small paper and   
squinted past the rain in front of her...

_InuYasha, _

_If you are reading this, it means that I am probably gone. I wanted you to know that I will always remember, but promise that you and the others won't forget me. Please, remember I was always true and how I always tried. I want you to remember that I loved only you. Remember me and smile. I would rather you forget than remember me and cry.  
_  
_Love Always,_

_Kagome_

InuYasha's heart began to ache with each beat. She loved him. She really had loved him. He turned from his friends and scampered away as best he could into a tree. Placing the jewel in his pocket, he tied the handkerchief around his belt. What could he have given her if she stayed? A life full of fear...running from demons that disapproved of their relationship. Lowering his head, he let another tear fall, mixing silently with the rain. _'Kagome...'_

_

* * *

_

Kagome embraced herself as she glided silently from the well house. A promise. She had made a promise to return when it was over. To return to her family. To her school... She turned with tearful eyes as her grandfather placed sutras on the wellhouse door. Her mother ran from the house with a look of obvious worry.

"Kagome, you're home! Are you hurt?"

"I'll be fine, mom." She painfully smiled and stepped into her mother's embrace. The wounds on the outside would heal long before those digging at her from within. "I'm home, mama,...for good."


	3. Linger in Both Worlds

"Charge Nurse, please dial 7901."

The young registered nurse tapped her pen on the top of her clip board before instinctively picking up the phone. "This is Kagome." She sat and listened silently to the voice echoing on the other end. "That's fine. I'll put you down for a sick day." Pushing herself wearily from her chair, Kagome walked calmly down the hall, greeting fellow nurses and patients alike. Her thoughts roaming elsewhere, she almost forgot to clock out at the end of her shift. "I'll see you guys next week." The 22 year old pulled her coat tighter around her as she walked the snowy streets of Tokyo, back to her family's shrine. Although five years had passed, the memories still haunted fresh inside her worn subconscious. Wetness of burning tears began to sting her eyes, forcing her to will away her thoughts. _'I...I can't keep living this way.' _Her mind tried to win her over, but her heart was the real problem. She couldn't let go. Her love for that rude, selfish, foul-mouthed half-demon had possessed her very soul. Pain. That was all she knew anymore. Her family didn't understand. How could they? They didn't know what she had been through. The suffering, the betrayal. She had secretly kept her emotions bottled for five long years, and she refused to stop now. Snapping back into reality, Kagome's breath almost lost it's way as she realized where she was standing. The well. The portal that used to send her to him. The portal that took her away. Forcing herself to look away, she dashed into the shrine, believing that the pain clutching her heart would take her very life. She took a deep breath to compose herself and prepared to continue her masquerade. "Hi, mama. I'm home."

"Hello, dear. Are you hungry? I've made some ramen."

Kagome halted, her shoulders tensing around her small neck. "Ramen..." She whispered with a smile. She walked out of the room, leaving her mother to ponder on what she had done wrong. Throwing her coat in the chair at the desk, Kagome laid down across her bed, hoping sleep would ease her agony. "I wonder what you're doing right now. Probably asleep in a tree or beating up on Shippo." She had to giggle at the thought. Her moment of relief was shattered by a glimpse of yellow underneath her desk. Kagome sat down in the floor and pulled the old bag over in front of her. Trying to hold in the obvious pain she felt, she pulled open the old, tattered bag and shifted through the contents. Clothes, books, and plenty of essential medical supplies. She giggled as she pulled out one of her old school uniforms, comparing it to her now state of dress consisting of jeans and a sweater. Her smile reluctantly faded as she spotted the old, dried blood on the side. "You were always getting hurt on my account." Her slender

fingers traced around the crimson stain. "You always found a way to save...wait..." Her mind jumped, throwing ideas at her like baseballs. "Found a way..." Kagome grabbed a large duffle bag out of the closet and wildly threw clothes and supplies inside. Moments later, she found herself standing by the well, pondering her next move.

"What are you doing?"

Kagome jumped and turned, her brother staring her down with a suspicious glare. "Souta, I...I'm going back."

"No! You can't! I'll tell mama!"

"This is something I have to do!" She determinedly turned back to the well.

"But, you promised!"

"Don't believe everything you're promised."

"Kagome!"

The young woman turned back and saw her mother running to her. "I'm sorry, mama." She looked down at the stained fabric in her hand and peered into the darkness of the well.

"Kagome! No!"

She turned back with tear-filled eyes. "I love you all." Without another thought, Kagome jumped into the well.

"Kagome!"

"Ow!" Kagome cried, hitting the hard dirt at the bottom. _'It didn't work...'_ She thought, still hearing the strangled shouts of her mother. "There's got to be a way! I have to get back to you!" She dug her nails into the soil, not really sure of what it would accomplish.

"Kagome! You can't! Please, there's nothing there for you!"

"But there is..." Kagome sobbed just loud enough for her mother to hear, "...the man I love."

Her mother watched as a blue light engulfed her daughter, taking her from sight as soon as it faded.

"I love you, too, my daughter. Go and find him."

* * *

Kagome's heart pounded, in both fear and anticipation, as she peeked over the edge of the well. Her thoughts were no longer coherent and she feared her body would fail her any

second. "I'm back." She whispered, feeling herself tremble. Something wasn't right. An uneasy feeling came over her. Fear. She was afraid. A light shone brightly over the trees as smoke drifted through the air. "What's going on?" She found herself running toward the village. The location was still fresh in her mind as if she were only gone a few days. The closer she got, the more her fear grew. As the carnage came into sight, Kagome skidded to a halt. _'What happened here?'_ Bodies, blood and fire were all that remained. Swallowing hard she forced herself to enter, stepping across the dead and around the flames. "Sango! Miroku! Anyone!" A gasp arose from her throat as she stumbled upon the body of the old priestess, a single arrow protruding from her back. "K..Kaede..." Covering her mouth, she staggered back, scampering away. Her hand landed on something soft and wet. She looked out of the corner of her eye to see a glimpse of red. "No..." She pulled the bloody bandana into her view, wanting to scream. Her mouth opened but was covered before a sound could exit.

"Be quiet! They'll hear you!"

Kagome cocked her head around to stare into the dark eyes of a certain monk. "Oh, Miroku! I thought you were dead!" Her tiny arms found their way around his neck. "Where are the others?" Miroku pulled back a little to place his hands on her shoulders.

"Sango, Shippo, and the surviving villagers are hiding in a cave just north of here."

"And...InuYasha?" He dropped his hands and bit his bottom lip. Her heart sank. "Miroku...tell me..."

"We...believe he's dead."

Kagome felt faint. She had deceived her family to get back to him and now he was...Her hand clutched tighter around the bandana.

"We're not sure. After a while, he realized that the demons were after the jewel, so he led

them away."

"So, InuYasha still might be alive?" A small streak of hope gleamed in the miko's eye.

"That was 8 days ago." It was gone. She lost it. Kagome bit back her fears and frustrations as best she could.

"Who...who did this?"

"They seemed to be ancient warriors. Ninjas it seemed, with lightning speed. They had metal armor covering fangs and claws. They seemed to have no weakness. No one lived once they decided to kill them. Their arrows were poison, it killed within minutes. Those that didn't die by arrow, did so under much worse means."

Her stomach rolled. "Let's get out of here."

Miroku stood, reaching a hand to the distraught young woman. Kagome ignored his offer and searched the village for any sign of life. "We will return and give them a proper burial." Kagome nodded and accepted his help.

"Let's get going." She said with one last look over her shoulder. _'Please, be alive...wherever you are...'_

_

* * *

_

"Kagome!" The little kitsune was in her arms before she could even blink.

"I've missed you so much!" She cried, cradling him into her shoulder. "Where's Sango?"

"Well, well..." Kagome looked up to the exterminator with red, teary eyes. "...welcome back."

Sango threw her arms around her friend. Kagome opened her eyes on Sango's shoulder and looked at the awful sight facing her. Men, women, and children alike were sick and wounded.

"Listen," She said pulling away, "I have some medicine in my bag. I worked in a hospital, so I have more than I usually did. Treat these people while I'm gone." She picked up a bow and a quiver of arrows, then turned her sights on a sword. "Can I borrow that?" The man nodded, handing her the belt.

"Where are you going?"

Kagome thrust the sword into the sheath and threw a small bag of medicine and bandages over her shoulder. "I refuse to believe that he's dead until I see the proof. If he's alive, I'll find him."

* * *

Clinching his teeth, he wrapped a torn piece of his kimono around the open wound in his thigh. "I'm losing too much blood..." His vision became blurry as he examined the gaping wound in his side. "I...can't let those damned things get the jewel." He sat up with a jolt as a rustle in the bushes got louder. _'Shit...'_


	4. Reunion

Kagome's body was beginning to feel the wear that she had forced it through. For hours, she had roamed the dark wilderness without so much as an inkling that her hanyou was living. "InuYasha! InuYasha!" She slumped down at the base of an old tree as the icy, winter wind stung her flesh. "Where are you?" Her voice lost all gratification, sinking to a low, raspy whisper. Hope was dissipating fast, leaving her with a lonely ache in her chest. The one feeling that drove her back to begin with. Emptiness. She was lost without him. Her dark eyes searched her surroundings, doubt finally completely it's capture of her soul. She couldn't focus. She couldn't think. One word terrorized her brain. It was relentless. Refusing to let her give in. The one word...the one name kept her going as she stood, wiping away the warm tears of defeat...InuYasha. "I won't give up on you."

* * *

His body was ravaged and aching. His mind was jumbled. Still, he continued to run. Running. It wasn't his style, but now... it was the only choice left to him. Stumbling, he landed hard on scraped hands and knees. "Damn it!" Staggering to his feet, he surveyed his surroundings and the red eyes looming around the trees. Leaving a crimson trail, he fled. "I can't run forever..."

* * *

"InuYasha! Please, answer me!" She was pleading now. Begging for a reply. A sign. Anything. _'I can't lose you now!' _She thought, leaning heavily against another tree. She wished for the warmth of his embrace. The softness in his voice that he revealed only to her. A smile drifted across her weary features as the memories of his 'split personality' swam in her mind. One minute, she was his best friend. The next, a weak, pathetic wench. The thought was quite funny, although he had gotten sent crashing to the ground most of the time. And that smile. Oh, how she would melt at the carefree, peaceful grin. It was not a common occurrence, but was a wonderful sight. She wanted to see that smile again. She would see that smile again. Determination took over. She had to keep going. Keep searching. As she pulled away from the tree, her delicate fingers drug across a rough area in the bark. "What's this?" The miko leaned in for examination and gave a gasp that could most likely be heard at the Higurashi Shrine itself. "C...claw marks!" The engravings were about a finger's width apart and made a somewhat clumsy arrow. "InuYasha, you're a genius! Hang on just a little longer!"

* * *

His head was swimming now. He couldn't go on much longer. He had lost enough blood to easily incapacitate a human. Exhaustion plagued him. Hunger haunted him. Thirst burned at him. All were eventually gaining the upper hand. Running not even being an option any longer, he spun and waited for his attackers. Images of his friends, those who were depending on him, swam eagerly throughout his mind as he clutched the jewel clinging to his neck. The women. The children. Those children. He had become a role model without even his knowledge. Playing tag...hide and go seek...letting them tell him stories. How he had come to adore the village brats. The happy memories were quickly varnished with images of death and injury. His features darkened compulsively as he drew his sword. "I won't let you down!" Raising the sword, transforming it in mid-air, he did the last thing the snarling creatures expected...he attacked.

* * *

Kagome froze at that familiar battle cry. "InuYasha!" Her pace increased dramatically, determination evident in every step. She winced as she shoved through the thorny bushes, following the sound of clashing metal. "You're fighting as usual! At least you could've chosen an easier path to follow!" Her tread softened as she peered through the leafy matter to the ongoing scuffle. "InuYasha..." Straightening in preparation to join her comrade, her eyes fell upon one of the monsters aiming an arrow straight at the reeling hanyou. Everything seemed to go into slow motion as the arrow was set on it's path. As the weapon zipped toward an unaware InuYasha, Miroku's words echoed:

_Their arrows were poison. It killed within minutes...' _

She couldn't move. She felt powerless in that instant. The last thing she would ever think of became her only option. "InuYasha, sit!"

"Kag..." The hanyou plummeted to the ground, the arrow barely evading his shoulder and piercing one of it's own. Her legs becoming mobile, Kagome raced from the darkened area, bow and arrow ready for defense. InuYasha pulled himself up to all fours, shaking his head to sort out what had just occurred. "How the hell?" He breathed, unaware of the beast above him ready to claim his head. Without a sound, Kagome released an arrow straight into it's heart, collapsing it on contact. "What the..." InuYasha's head snapped up as the demon convulsed on the ground, crumbling under Kagome's miko magic. His eyes set upon yet another demon swiftly bringing a spiked sword to his skull. Covering his head with his arms, InuYasha awaited the final blow. It never came. To his astonishment, the creatures were backing away into the pitch black encoding of their surroundings, bowing ever so slightly in their retreat. There he sat, mouth gaping, for several minutes. "Now I know I missed somethin'."

"Yeah, you did."

'_That voice...' _

"InuYasha, are you alright?" Kagome rushed to kneel at his side, a look of bewilderment firmly plastered onto his face. "InuYasha, please, say something! Believe me, it's never good when _you_ don't talk." His body swayed as he positioned himself on his knees. "InuYasha!"

"Did...did you...just 'sit' me?" His words were like music to her ears. Not exactly what she expected after a five year absence, but good enough. He collapsed to the side, landing on his hands, snapping the smile from her face.

"InuYasha...InuYasha!" Her cries of worry and frustration fell upon deaf ears as he toppled to the ground, unconscious on impact. "InuYasha, now's not the time to do this! Get up...get up!" Her shaking and shouts did little to revive the hanyou, earning only an uncomfortable moan. Keeping her hands on his shoulders, Kagome searched the darkness around them at the whispers and hisses, signaling the creatures were still near. _'Why did they back off?' _Pushing InuYasha onto his back, she snapped the chain from around his neck. "Is this what you want!" Kagome held the jewel idly above her head. "Come and get it! Just leave him alone!" No movement. No response. The indecisive noises had ceased. _'Why didn't they attack? Something's not right.'_

_

* * *

_

"Miroku, she's been gone for hours. Shouldn't we..."

"Yes, we should, but we can't. Lady Sango, we cannot risk anymore lives. I am inclined to go after her as well, but Kagome knew what she was up against. We must have faith." Sango nodded and shifted her gaze back to the forest.

'_Be safe, my friends.'_

_

* * *

_

His ears twitched vigorously as the sounds of the forest flooded his hearing. He was completely exhausted, both physically and mentally. Time had been lost, leaving him clueless of how long his eyes had been closed. As reality began to sink in, so did the pain. He felt like he had been thrown from the highest, rockiest cliff only to hit bottom five times over. With an involuntary shiver, his eyes snapped open, burning and watering. _'What the hell happened? Where...where am I?' _His head bobbing slightly from his lack of strength to hold it, his fluttering eyes took in the scenes around him. A fire. A small bag. A bowl of blood tinged water. A small rag with different metal devices on it. A bow and quiver. And a sword. Looking weakly from under his bangs, his vision drifted in and out of clarity as a small figure approached him. His broken nose unable to pick up the scent, he pushed back against the tree in a failed attempt to move away. He opened his mouth to expel a warning, only a rasping breath coursing his throat.

"Hey, calm down."

'_It can't be...' _

"It's me, InuYasha...it's Kagome."

'_But how? No! No, it's a trick!'_

The young woman placed a warm hand on his cold, clammy shoulder, hoping her touch would be enough to settle him. It worked. The hanyou immediately relaxed, letting his head fall back to rest against the tree.

"You're gonna be okay. The wounds were deep, but nothing a few stitches and sutures can't handle. Now, there's just worrying about infection. You have been out here for over a week, unable to heal the way you usually do..." InuYasha blinked fiercely a few times, making sure his brain wasn't suffering from exertion. Focusing on the image in front of him, his ears blocked out her insatiable rambling. "It took quite a few stitches actually. You're lucky you leg wasn't..."

"Kagome!" His voice was weak and cracking, only mustering a whisper as he pushed from the ground. Her breath caught in her throat as his arms found their way around her small frame.

"...cut...off..." Her heart quivered at his labored, rattling breaths against the skin of her neck. "InuYasha, you need to..."

"Kagome," Only a whisper, but enough to make her shiver. "I...I thought...I'd never...see you again."

Mastering the best smile she could through the desperate tears that threatened, she pushed him back gently, apply the slightest bit of pressure to his shoulders. "Well, that's what you get for thinking. Now, lay back down." Unavoidably groaning, the hanyou obeyed. "We should be safe here. The creatures left...though I don't have a clue as to why." She reached for his wrist and closed her eyes in concentration. The hanyou watched her silently count, confusing him even more than he already was.

"W...what the hell are...you doing?"

"I'm checking your pulse." She answered quickly, opening her eyes for only a fraction of a second before returning to her silent counting.

"What the hell for?"

She pursed her lips at his ignorant question, letting his hand fall onto his stomach. "You're exhausted, dehydrated, and half starved, you idiot! You need to be watched!"

Smiling lazily at her false anger, he shifted painfully against the tree to get comfortable. "Right...I almost forgot why I missed you." A grin crept across her face as his golden orbs were hidden by a pair of weary, dropping lids.

"Are you hungry? I've got some..." She sighed in defeat as his chest rose in a deep breath, followed by a stream of incoherent mumbling. "...ramen." She sat back off her knees and watched him sleep. Although he was probably in a great deal of pain, slumber was what he needed. Peacefulness was not something she saw this time in his sleeping face. His features reflected of agony, his brow furrowing every few seconds. Still...through the cuts and bruises, he was still the man she loved. Just as handsome as he was when she left. Unable to resist temptation, her hand drifted to his ears. She had always been the only one allowed to touch them. Stroking the inside of one fuzzy triangle, she allowed her hand to travel through his hair, down his shoulder, and eventually grasped his clawed hand. Hands that were so rough. Rough from being alone, fending for himself since childhood. Rough from rejection. Rough from a broken heart. Rough from countless battles. But yet...soft. Soft from learning to trust. Soft from gaining friends. Soft enough that the slightest touch made her gasp. Soft enough to turn her tears into happy moisture. Soft enough to help her fall in love with him. "Oh, InuYasha, you have no idea how much I've missed you." She gingerly raised his hand up to press her lips against his skin, letting her tears fall onto the abrasions.

"Kagome..."

"Huh?" She abruptly dropped his hand and brought her own to her chest. "I...I thought you were asleep."

"Well...that's...what you get for thinking." He smiled, although his eyes were still closed. Blinking a few times, his weary eyes met hers. "Why...are you crying?"

"I...I've just missed you, that's all."

The hanyou laughed in a breath, grunting through a pain in his side. "That's all, huh?"

"Oh! You know what I mean!" She crossed her arms over her chest in a failed attempt to look angry.

"Do I?" The look on his face brought her back into seriousness.

"InuYasha, you know I missed you. I..." She paused, feeling foolish. Kikyo was still out there somewhere. Her chances of gaining his love were about that of Kouga gaining her own. He had made a point of telling her that he was her friend and that she had a place in his heart, but could that place ever metastasize into one as big as the spot Kikyo held. Taking a deep breath to regain her courage, she continued. "I...thought about you every day. I even wrote a song about all the time I spent in my era...alone."

"One day, you'll have to sing it to me." She raised her eyebrows in a skeptical glare. Was he acting this way from exhaustion? Maybe, he was talking out of his head. Either way, he wasn't being himself. Had he changed that much since she had been gone?

"Yeah, maybe one day I will."

"Kagome, I thou...I thought you were gone forever. Th...there are so many things I should've said...that I should've...done...things I regret..." He sat up abruptly, coughing harshly. His hand enveloped his ribs as a look of agony passed across his once serene features.

"Here! Drink, drink, drink!" She tipped the small bowl to his lips as he brought a trembling hand up over her own. "Let's not do this now. We have plenty of time to catch up." He choked a little on the liquid before nodding in agreement. "You have a lot of healing to do. You need to rest." Pulling off her jacket, she placed it over him as he laid over in front her, shivering and moaning. _'Please, Miroku...Sango...someone! Hurry!'_

_

* * *

_

"What news do you bring?"

The demon kneeled itself in front of the hooded woman, lowering it's head as it removed it's armor. "The hanyou escaped...with the jewel."

"Fool!" She raised her hand, ready to end the warrior's existence.

"He was not alone! A young woman came from nowhere, my lady! She bears a striking resemblance to thee! We feared to attack! She took one down with a single arrow!"

"So, she has returned, has she?" The woman lowered her hand to the hood, pulling it from her raven hair as it fell freely upon her shoulders. "He will undoubtedly give her the jewel. I want you to slaughter everyone around them."

"Yes. And what of the hanyou and the girl?"

"Bring them to me. Alive! Fail and you will regret ever being revived! Now, go!" The demon bowed and exited as the woman seated herself in a shadowed corner. "InuYasha." A laugh rolled with the name, bringing a cruel smile to her dark face. "You have proven that your love for that girl is indestructible. To kill the love, kill the girl. I will even let you watch her agonizing death. I will break you down, piece by piece, you foolish half man! The villagers. Your friends. That..._girl_! I will enjoy destroying you."


	5. Manipulated Thoughts and Strange Acts

**This entire Story is dedicated to David. You know who you are. He was my inspiration to keep writing when all other options were lost. I hope that I can still live up to your expectations. Thanks.**

Sango sat in silence a few feet away from the meditating monk, keeping her gaze locked on the silent frame of the forest around them. Kagome had been gone way too long. "Miroku?"

"Yes?" The monk opened his eyes and studied her demeanor. Her hand gripped the hilt of her sword and she had yet to even look at him. "You're going, aren't you?"

"I have to. Kagome and InuYasha are my friends. I don't want to spend the rest of my life wonder if just maybe there was something I could have done." Her voice remained quiet in hope that the fox child wouldn't hear. No such luck.

"You think something's happened to Kagome?" Sango met his teary eyes, her heart breaking in the few places it had left.

"I...I'm not sure, Shippo. If she's out there, rest assured that I will find her." Her voice was now shaky and cracking, but she did her best to control it. For Shippo's sake.

"You mean, we'll find her." All heads turned consecutively to the source of the gruff voice. Standing defiantly at the lining of the brush was the wolf prince himself.

"Kouga? What are you..."

"Save it! Is it true? Is she really back?"

"Well, yeah, but she went to find InuYasha. He may be..."

"Screw dog breath! We need to find Kagome!" He turned in a purposeful stride, glancing back over his shoulder. "Are you just gonna stand there!"

"Uh...no. I'm comin'" The slayer turned for her boomerang, noticing the monk standing and dusting his robes.

"_We're_ coming."

"We can't both go." Realizing their dilemma, they stood in contemplation.

"Aw shit! I don't really care who comes, but I will send my people to guard your villagers. Now, can we just go?" Kouga tapped his foot, impatiently awaiting an answer.

"Okay."

"Sure."

"Alright, haul ass!"

Shippo waved the three off while Sango suspiciously glared at the wolf strutting ahead of herself and the monk. _'Why is he this far south? Oh, well, I guess we do stand a better chance with him on our side.'_

_

* * *

_

Kagome watched her companion uneasily as he silently stared into the rising sun. He had been awake for a while, but had stayed surprisingly quiet and had refused any treatment she had attempted to administer. His wounds were definitely infected and he had developed a fever during the night. To complicate things more, she had a suspicion that his ankle was broken. How could she know for sure? He wouldn't even let her look at it. Her choices were limited, leaving her without a clue of what to do next. _'He must be seriously worn if his injuries haven't at least started to heal.' _

"Kagome?" She shook herself from her thoughts and returned to her visual examination.

"What?"

"Why...why did you really come back? You have the jewel now."

Narrowing her eyes in apparent anger at his insinuation, she avoided his question with one of her own. "Why won't you look at me?"

"No reason."

His answer was simple, but enough to slice her heart in two. _'What happened to the InuYasha I saw last night? I guess it was the delirium.'_ He could be so complicated at times and she had convinced herself that she had missed it. Now...she wasn't so sure.

"You didn't answer my question." His bland statement brought her attention back to him.

"Answer one for me first." She didn't want to be so direct, but she had to know the reason behind his attitude. So, she asked the one thing she thought was the detailed dilemma. "How's Kikyo?" Ouch. That one stung and she could tell. He flinched and squeezed his eyes shut, still keeping his head turned away from her.

"I don't wanna talk about it."

"Fine. Then I don't wanna talk about why I came back." Something was wrong. Usually he would at least give her some vague details. _'What's wrong? Why won't you talk to me?'_

"I wouldn't know."

"Huh?" Kagome lifted her head to stare into his once shining amber orbs, now diminished to a dull glare.

"I wouldn't know how she is. I haven't seen her in...2 years, I guess."

"InuYasha, I..."

"Look, don't make it a big deal, cause it's not. I don't care." He lowered his head in an attempt to keep her from seeing the hurt in his eyes.

"No, of course, you don't." She kept her voice tranquil and understanding as she moved closer.

"What happened? When you did see her, I mean."

"I don't wanna talk about this anymore! Will you just do what you gotta to these scratches!"

"Okay." Pulling open his haori, she slipped her fingers underneath the linen strips bound around his ribs. The wound was still swollen and hot to the touch. "That...doesn't look too good."

"It's fine." Raising an eyebrow and shaking her head, she dipped her fingers into the herbal ointment she had concocted. She heard him wince quietly as she dabbed the sticky substance onto the stitched area, knowing that it stung. "I did miss you."

"You did?"

"Well, of course, I did, wench! Did you think I was talking to hear my self speak last night!" He jerked down the white shirt and leaned his head to glare at her, emphasizing his point.

"Well, actually..."

"Leave it to you to be so stupid!" With an indignant grunt, he pulled himself to stand and leaned back against the tree. Kagome huffed in protest and put a hand to his forehead.

"You still have a fever. Lay back down and I'll make you something to eat."

"We don't have time for that! We have to go!" He cautiously released his clutch on the tree, trying to stand solo. Kagome shook her head as his legs began to tremble and placed her hands under his arms just as he began to fall.

"You're gonna fall and break the other ankle, silly." InuYasha eyed her as she helped lower him back down to the ground. "We'll go as soon as you eat something."

"I told you, I don't want anything!"

"No, you didn't. You said we didn't have time." She giggled at her overthrow of the hanyou and laughed even harder as she realized he wasn't happy about it. She turned around to place the small box over the fire and then turned back to him, resting her head on her fists. He loved her smile. Always had. Probably always would. She was still so beautiful with the same teenage features, except for filling out in all the right places. Kikyo was beautiful, too, but something about Kagome...captivated him. He had never felt such pain as he did when she left. He would have rather been ran through fifteen times with the largest sword than feel that again. He might as well had ripped out his heart and sent it through the well with her. Because she took it anyway. He couldn't let her know. Not yet. Kikyo was still around and something wasn't right in her disappearance. She was up to no good and he knew it. Realizing he had been staring a little too long, he broke the unnerving silence.

"Okay, you win."

"I always do. Figured you'd gotten used to that by now."

"Can your ego get any bigger?" He huffed, raising the heels of his hands to rub his temples.

"Not as big as yours, I'm afraid." Her smile never faltered.

"You're impossible." He narrowed his eyes in annoyance, closing them slowly. His arms began to ache from the constant motion of aiding his headache. Kagome tilted her head to get a better look into his pained face.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, my head just hurts." He continued to rub his temples until he felt the damp cloth touch his cheek. "Huh?"

"I told you, you have a fever. Of course, your head's gonna hurt." She reached to lower his hand before pressing the cloth to his forehead. Pulling his hair aside she dabbed the rag against his neck, ecstatic when he leaned his head to allow her better access. Letting the cloth rest on the nape of his neck, she turned to fetch the heated ramen. "You'll feel better after you eat something." What happened next could have sent her into heart failure. InuYasha turned his nose up at ramen.

"I...I don't really feel like eating right now."

"But you said you would."

"No, I said you won. I never said I would eat." He grinned somewhat devilishly through the pain in his eyes, tweaking on her last nerve.

"You need to eat." She furrowed her brow and said the words very slowly, hoping he would get the point before she 'sat' him to the breaking point.

"I'm not hungry!"

"Yes, you are!"

"No, I'm not!"

"Are!"

"Not!"

"Would you eat if I promise to shut up?"

"I would crawl to Hell and back if you promised to shut up!" He jerked the box from her hand and lifted a few noodles on the tips of his claws. Gulping fiercely, he downed the first bite, hoping silently it wouldn't come back to haunt him.

"See, it's good."

"I thought you were going to shut up!" He snapped, chewing a few more noodles. He felt his stomach roll before sitting the cup down at his feet.

"And I thought you were going to eat!" She picked the box back up and shoved it persistently into his face.

"Look, wench, if you don't want it to come back all over you, then I suggest you give it a rest!"

"Okay, alright. Gees, still the same old grouch. Do you want some water?"

"No."

"Fine." Sighing in defeat, she sat the noodles aside and poked at the fire. _'Wench this, stupid that! He's so mean to me! Yet, I love him so much...maybe I really am stupid.' _"It's really cold out here for daytime, don't you-huh?" She gasped as his kimono was draped around her shoulders. "InuYasha, what are you doing?" Without so much as a reply, he wrapped an arm around her and pulled her between his drawn up legs. "InuYasha?"

"What? You just said you were cold, and you probably didn't sleep last night. So, go to sleep." He wrapped his arms around her shoulders, letting his hands hang away from her chest and his elbows rest on his knees. Although it was very inviting, she couldn't pull away her worry for him.

"What about you? You're still burning up." Kagome tilted her head back as he opened his eyes to stare ahead.

"I'll be fine. I'll keep watch until you wake up."

"Are you sure?"

"Would I have offered if I wasn't? Yes, I'm freakin' sure! Now, go to sleep already!" Turning carefully as not to hurt him, she let her ear press against his chest, his heartbeat slowly lulling her to sleep. At that moment, their thoughts seemed to intertwine.

'_I could definitely get used to this.'_

_

* * *

_

"Kagome was here. Her scent is only a few hours old." Kouga raised his head from the ground, a relieved smile drifting across his face. "I don't smell her blood, so she hasn't been injured."

"That's good news." Miroku stepped up behind the wolf, scanning the area for any dangers.

"InuYasha, on the other hand...(sniff) his blood coats this area. His scent is older...(sniff, sniff) Maybe, a few hours or so than Kagome's." Standing, the prince searched the ground for a trail to follow.

"Well?" Sango and Miroku said in unison.

"This way."

* * *

"They will probably be where we left them. The hanyou is injured and will not be able to run. He should be easy prey."

"Fool! We are not to kill them. She wants them brought to her. I dare not think of the consequences if we fail."

"How alive does she want them?"

"She did not say. So, let's just make sure they arrive with a heartbeat still in place." The creatures laughed in a hiss as they neared where InuYasha and Kagome laid sleeping.

* * *

The woman watched from a pool of dark magic as InuYasha's eyes finally drifted shut. The moment she had been waiting for.

"This is going to be amusing."


	6. A Narrow Escape

Kagome began to stir as the scent of pine and earth drifted over her senses. The warmth she had missed so much was still there. Pulling her arms from underneath her, she wrapped them around his midsection, cuddling as close as she could without causing him pain. As happy as she was at that moment, she could not help but recall the confusion from their earlier conversations. She would never understand him, but was sure she was probably never meant to. His heart belonged to another. From the moment she decided to venture back to him, she knew that. But she had his friendship. If friendship was all that was required to stay this close to him, she would embrace it with open arms and no second thoughts.

"Kagome, you awake?"

She contemplated for a moment or two on whether or not to answer. The better person won.

"Mmmm-hmmm."

"Come on, we need to get moving."

Raising up, she wiped at her eyes and focused on him with a lazy smile. Okay, maybe it needed a recount. She fell forward and buried her face in his chest, willing away the option to wake up.

"Just five more minutes."

"Get up!" His command came out in a laugh as he gently pushed her off, her hands still clinging to his haori.

"Alright, alright." She again forced herself up, this time reaching for his forehead. "Looks like that fever broke. You feel better?"

"Yep, just a little sore. I'll live." Rising to his feet, he dusted himself off and reached a hand to her. "Get your shit."

"Yes, master." She brushed away his hand, a sleepy pout plastered to her face, and went about gathering their supplies. "Ya know, this is kinda like the old days, isn't it?" InuYasha turned his head toward her, his eyes trailing her every motion, and smiled.

"Yeah. Yeah, I guess it is."

"Just you and me, except this time...we're not doing the hunting." Throwing the bag over her shoulder with a sigh, she shoved her hands in her pockets and grinned uncontrollably. "Ready?"

"You are way too perky."

"And you are not perky enough." She informed, tapping the end of his nose and enlacing her arm in his as they began their journey.

* * *

"It hasn't been long since they passed through here." Kouga kneeled down, pointing to the imprints in the mud.

"They? You mean, she found him?" Sango wanted to jump and scream, but they were not out of danger yet. She would save her celebration for when they were found.

"Yep. I don't smell any blood, but he's bearing more weight on the left. Probably a foot or leg injury."

"What do you make of these?" The monk stood behind a nearby tree, pointing with his staff to another set of prints. What Kouga saw sent a growl rumbling in his chest.

"Searchers."

"Huh?"

"We called them searchers."

Monk and exterminator exchanged quizzical glances before encouraging him to speak again. "You mean, those creatures?"

"Of course, I mean those...things!"

Sango quickened her pace to line up beside the prince, Miroku following suit. "Why do you call them searchers?"

"Because when they slaughtered half my tribe..." He paused, clenching his fists in order to control his frustration, "...they were searching for something...for someone."

"Kouga, I...we didn't..."

"Forget it! All that's important now is rescuing Kagome!"

"And InuYasha." Miroku added. "You know, Kagome won't leave without him."

"She might have to." The wolf's face became solemn, his eyes hidden in a faraway glare.

"Why's that?"

"Because...he's the one their searching for."

"Well, we knew that." Miroku's fit of laughter desisted upon the scowl he received from Kouga's angry eyes. "He has the jewel and they..."

"Fool! Those creatures have no need for the jewel! If they had wanted the jewel, as injured as InuYasha was, they could've taken it with ease! Use your brain! They want InuYasha himself!"

* * *

"Very clever, wolf. You've figured me out. Now, don't get it wrong, I do want the jewel. I am it's true guardian! Not some worthless human girl who cannot even aim a arrow! Or some half beast who thinks he deserves it because he bled!" Her face settled into an entrenched grin as she waved her hand, diminishing the image in the water into another view. "First, I want to settle things with you, my love." She laughed forbiddingly, watching the hanyou stalk through the woods with Kagome at his side.

* * *

"Do you know where we're going?" Kagome looked around at the unfamiliar settings, an easy feeling pulling her closer to the hanyou.

"No idea." He shrugged.

"Great!"

"Look, I can't help it that those bastards broke my nose! Why don't you try playing tag with a 300 pound vampire and see how hot you look afterward!" Kagome playfully nudged him in the ribs, causing him to wince and hiss through clenched teeth. "Ow, wench! I told you, I'm still sore! Show a little concern, would ya?"

"Oops, sorry." She patted him on the shoulder sympathetically before nearly climbing up his arm when a rabbit bounced out from the bushes.

"Get on my back."

"What? Why?"

"Because we're never gonna get anywhere if you keep freakin' out every time the wind blows!" That's when he heard it. Through the whistling birds and the howl of the wind. The stomps of approaching feet. "Get on my back, now!"

"Okay, alright, pushy." Bracing herself against his shoulder blades, she pulled herself up, enabling him to latch onto her legs. Hissing at the added pressure on his ankle, he fell to one knee, summoning the will to stand back up. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Maybe I should just walk."

"No, trust me. We'll gain more ground if I carry you." Glancing at the silent area behind them and seeing no trace of an enemy, he decided not to tell her of his suspicions.

"Oh, I guess the speed we're traveling at was clouding my judgment."

InuYasha turned, smirking over his shoulder as he leaped into the trees. "Smart ass."

* * *

"The tracks have shifted into one set. Where could Kagome have gone?" He withheld his anger as the slayer peeked over his shoulder at the impressions. _'If that dog faced bastard has done anything to hurt her, I'll...'_

"She's on his back."

"What?" Kouga turned his head upward, Sango hovering over him, holding a proud face for her cleverness.

"He's obviously carrying more weight. Look at the depth of the print and compare it to the others."

The wolf hid his incumbered face, feeling foolish to her out doings. "I knew that."

"It's not uncommon for them to travel that way. In the old days, you would hardly see..."

"Oh, it doesn't matter! We have to find them before the searchers do!"

* * *

Kagome tightened her embrace around the hanyou's neck, hiding her face against his back from the wind. She loved being able to feel this way again. The fresh air. The sense of freedom. The arrows whizzing over her head. Arrows? Kagome, keeping her head low, turned, her eyes setting on the swift ogres on their heels. The beasts moved somewhat gracefully, climbing against the sides of trees like spiders. Very, very fast spiders. "Uh, InuYasha!"

"What?"

"We got company!"

"I know, just hold on!" He tightened his grip on her knees, leaping to the ground and back into the trees, hoping to divert them.

"You know? What do you mean 'you know'?"

"Just shut up and hold on, would ya! Oh, wait, duck!" Kagome did the opposite and lifted her head out of reflex, jerking it back down as the low branch caught her forehead.

"Ow..."

"I told you to duck, stupid!"

"Oh, shut up and run!" She hissed, dabbing the blood from her head. She moved her hands up to grip his shoulders, hiding her face from the stinging wind. _'He can't do this forever...we gotta lose 'em somehow...we gotta...' _Her head snapped up, her vocal chords suddenly disabled as the arrow dug into the small of her back. Moving her mouth, nothing came out but a hoarse squeak. Just enough to attract his attention.

"What's wrong?"

"A...a...a...arr...ow..."

"Huh?" The hanyou faltered, losing his balance on a small limb. Soaring to the ground, he moved Kagome in front of him. In a clumsy attempt to land on his feet, he could hear his ankle breaking in the intact places it had left. He ignored the pain and concentrated on the girl in his arms. "Kagome?" Shifting her to his shoulder, he pulled the arrow out and examined it. It dripped with nothing but blood. "No poison?" _'They don't plan to kill us!' _His assumption was thrown short as a chain wrapped itself around his neck. The searcher pulled InuYasha to dangle above Kagome, another throwing a second chain to bind his arms. InuYasha gagged and gasped, anything to pull air into his lungs.

"I...Inu...Yasha..." The young woman's eyes opened. The look in those eyes. She was depending on him. Something sparked within the hanyou. Narrowing his eyes in sheer determination, he flexed the muscles in his arm fiercely, snapping the chains. Touching ground, he gripped the links around his neck and jerked the searcher from the tree. Kagome's vision began to blur as she watched the flood of arrows soar at the hanyou. Blackness. Complete darkness invading her world, she listened as the last of her hearing diminished.

"Tetsusaiga!"

"InuYasha! Look out!"

"Kagome! What the hell have you done, you mutt!"

'_InuYasha...'_


	7. Revived Emotions

_Kagome opened her eyes to darkness. Silence. Eerie silence. Nothing. No one. Holding her hand in front of her face, it was not even visible. _

'_Where am I? What happened?'_

_Seemingly out of nowhere, a light began to flicker, pulling her fear into her throat. Squinting her eyes, she leaned forward slightly as an image began to accelerate. There, under the beam, lay the hanyou. _

"_InuYasha!"_

_He did not move. He did not respond. Kagome reached a tentative hand to him, yelping as a red field of some sort jolted her fingertips._

"_InuYasha! Answer me!"_

_The hanyou raised his head from the ground, unveiling the bruises and bleeding cuts on his face. Seeming to have noticed her, he rose to his knees, clutching something close to his heart. Kagome tried to reach for him a second time, only for the same reaction._

"_InuYasha! I can't get to you! What's happening!"_

_She could barely see him now, as if he had drifted further away. His mouth moved, but no sound could be heard as he opened his hand, the jewel lying in his palm._

"_I don't understand! What are you trying to tell me!"_

_As quickly as the image came, it was gone. Kagome was left in the blackness, nothing left but a scream of utter pain filling her ears. Searching around desperately, she could find no escape. No refuge. Resting her hands on the dark ground beneath her, she felt a warm, wet substance engulfing her small palms. Her stomach rolled as she looked to the rising river of blood surrounding her._

"_What is this? InuYasha! Where are you!"_

_Then realization hit, the scream she had heard...was InuYasha._

Kagome awoke with a jerk, her eyes darting frantically around the room. She searched the sleeping faces of her friends, except the one she was intrigued to find. "InuYasha! InuYasha!" Rising with a grunt, she pushed herself onto her feet. Sango was the only one to awaken in the midst of the young miko's panic.

"Kagome! You shouldn't be up! You wanna tear that wound open?" The slayer clasped her friend's arm, gently pulling her back to the mat.

"Where's InuYasha?" Before Sango could answer, the hanyou in question strode through the door.

"I'm right here! Gees, can't leave you for a second!"

Kagome let out a horrendous sigh of relief before crashing back to the mat. Pulling an arm up across her forehead, she watched the hanyou limp over to where she lay. He plopped down beside her, immediately rubbing his ankle.

"Still hurts?"

"Don't worry about me. I'm the tough one here. What about you?" Kagome looked up to lock gazes with the hanyou. He let his cocky demeanor fall, leaving his emotions to flood through his eyes. Worry, pain, sympathy,...guilt.

"I'm okay. It doesn't really hurt that bad." She put on a smile over the pain that threatened to break through. His head lowered, hiding his eyes from her view. "Hey..."

"What?"

"Wanna do me a favor?"

He watched that normal mischievous smile drift onto her pained face as she tried to sit up. "Depends..." He answered, turning his head to the side, but keeping his eyes on her. "What is it?"

"Why don't you walk me to a spring, so I can take a bath?"

"Why don't you let Sango take you?"

"Because, I want you to." She had to make him feel better. He couldn't think this was his fault. She leaned her head to wink at the exterminator before speaking again. "I would feel safer with you."

Raising a skeptical eyebrow, he put a hand to her forehead. "Maybe that arrow was poisoned after all."

"Oh, you!" She smacked his hand away harshly, attempting to get up on her own. "I'll take myself!"

"Kagome!" Hanyou and slayer screamed in unison.

"I'm fine. Ow!" Kagome leaned heavily against the wall, white dots beginning to dance in front of her eyes. This wasn't the first time she had been shot, probably not the last, but it hurt like hell. Feeling her world become light, she reeled back, unable to catch herself. Sensing the hard floor getting closer, she squeezed her eyes shut and prepared for the pain of impact. Her eyes snapped open as two arms pulled her away from the impact point and into their owner.

"Stupid wench! We warned you, but do you listen! No!" Kagome crushed herself against his chest, holding fistfuls of his kimono. She felt so safe in those arms. Like nothing could touch her. No one could harm her. But then, he let go. Lowering her legs slowly, he kept a hand behind her to steady her on her feet. "Think you can stand?"

"Uh...yeah."

"If he doesn't want to take you..." Kagome's head snapped up, her eyes locking with Kouga's.

"...I will. Everyone needs a good bath. It'll probably make you feel better."

"Never mind. I don't wanna go anymore."

"Nonsense! I'll carry you."

"Kouga, I said..."

"Come on, Kagome!" Kouga stepped persistently toward the young woman, stopping abruptly as Tetsusaiga's blade threatened to impale him.

"Touch her and die." No growl. No snarl. No insults. Just four simple words into one direct threat. Sensing the hanyou's agitation, the wolf reluctantly complied. He cautiously stepped back, holding his hands defensively in front of him.

"What's wrong with wanting to take _my_ woman for a bath?" Kouga sneered, crossing his arms defiantly across his chest. InuYasha's eyebrow twitched wildly, his sword never leaving it's position toward the prince.

"She's not _your_ woman! When in the blue Hell are you going to gather enough brains to figure that out!"

"Well, she's certainly not yours! You can't even protect her!"

'_Uh-oh...' _Kagome's eyes widened and she bit her lip, feeling InuYasha's arm tremble behind her.

"Why you..." The hanyou kept his head lowered, biting back all temptation to slaughter the wolf on the spot.

"Kouga, Kagome really wants InuYasha to take her. They have a lot of catching up to do, and just want some alone time. You understand, right?" Sango tilted her head, awaiting an answer.

"Fine, whatever! But I'll be here when you get back and then we have some catching up to do of our own." His gaze never left the young woman as he strutted nonchalantly back outside. InuYasha cocked his head, eyeing the exterminator.

"Go..." She pushed her hands toward them, urging them to go while peace was secured. InuYasha shook his head in defeat before sheathing Tetsusaiga and lifting Kagome back into his arms. She smiled sharply at Sango, who returned the wink from earlier as she threw a towel just within Kagome's reach.

"So, what happened back there? In the forest, I mean?" Kagome raised her head from his chest, watching his eyes constantly search the area around them for threats. He grunted with a laugh, pulling her closer as he stepped over a tree root.

"You got hit, I warded 'em off, the others came in to help. That's about it."

"How did we get to a village?"

"The village elder offered us refuge seeing as how their village was ravaged a few days ago. So, we moved everyone here."

"Oh..." Comfortable with his answers, she allowed herself to rest in his arms, that secure feeling returning. Her mind sifted through both thoughts and memories, good and bad, from their previous days before her departure. She felt as if she had betrayed him by leaving. Maybe _he_ felt betrayed. Maybe that's why some of his aggression had returned. But he still protected her. That soft side was still there, shining through to her alone. He had been willing to leave Kikyo to fight on her own against Naraku just to stay by her side. Could it be because he knew Kikyo was stronger? Or was there another reason?

"Wake up. We're here." His gruff tone severed her from her remembrance, pulling her attention toward the alluring hot spring just calling her name.

"Thank you." She smiled simply, weaning herself from his grasp to edge toward the luscious water. _'Oh, man, it'll feel good to be clean!' _Hearing a twig snap behind her, she turned to his departing form. "Hey, where ya goin'?" He turned with a perturbed glare.

"You said 'walk you', you never said anything about staying with you."

"You would leave me out here? Alone...and injured?"

"Yep." And he was gone. Kagome stood, mouth gaping.

"Pig." She huffed, allowing herself to collapse on the chilled ground. _'I've been in worse situations than this...I'll just take a bath...' _She jumped at a rustle behind her, _'and get the hell outta here!'_

"Idiot." InuYasha reclined in a nearby tree, turning his head as she undressed. "Did you really think I would leave you?" He waited until he heard the movement of water before relocking his eyes on the girl. She was so beautiful. The way the water glistened off her skin. The way her hair fell around her face and neck. The silhouette of her body outlined with winter moonlight. He thought he could never see such beauty, especially in someone attracted to him. He knew she was. Why? He couldn't answer. She had admitted it freely countless times. He just couldn't bring himself to let her know how he felt. How he adored her. How he worshiped her. How he loved her. There was always something standing in his way. Someone. His daze was interrupted by an angelic humming filling his ears. Redrawing his full attention to her, he cocked his head and realized she was singing.

"_I never knew how long a day could be _

_It was winter and the sun was shining_

_Beyond the shadows I could see_

_It was winter and the wind was blowing,"_

Creeping quietly to a lower branch, he pushed a limb from his view and listened.

"_Love never dies_

_I Know that true love never dies_

_The seasons end and time moves on_

_But true love never dies"_

His ears leaning toward her, he remembered what she had told him. She had written a

song. Could this be the song?

"_I look at a picture I took of you_

_Now it's winter and the color's fading_

_I just sit here while the wind blows through me_

_No matter how hard I try, can't stop this feeling"_

He silently stared, taking in every note and every movement. The burning of guilt

seized his entire subconscious. She had written this for _him_.

"_Love never dies_

_I know that true love never dies_

_A day comes to an end and time moves on_

_But true love never dies...never dies"_

Then he smelled it...the saltiness of her tears. She was crying. Raising her head, the

water trickled down her face, mixing with her silent tears.

"_Now, I don't want to be wanting you_

_It's been three winters and my heart's still crying_

_Love never dies_

_I know that true love never dies_

_A day comes to an end and time moves on_

_But true love never dies_

_But true love never dies_

_True love never dies! _

_Oh, I loved you and love never dies_

_...but now it's time to say goodbye,_

_but I'll be in your dreams and you in mine"_

Unconsciously leaning a little too far, the hanyou tumbled from the tree, hitting the ground with a 'thud'. Kagome screamed and instinctively picked up a rock, ready to crack the intruder's head open.

"Damn!"

"InuYasha?"

_**The Song used in this chapter was 'Love Never Dies' by Belinda Carlisle. I just thought it fit Kagome's feelings perfectly, so voila!**_


	8. I Thought I Knew You

Kagome looked hastily around the darkness of the bushes, moving slowly through the water to grab her towel. "InuYasha? That you?" No reply. Keeping her only weapon held high, she pulled herself painfully from the water with one arm. _'InuYasha, you jerk! You would leave me, wouldn't you?' _She looked about her quietly, struggling to make it through the brush, unsupported.

'_Shit! Shit! Shit!' _InuYasha crawled backward on all fours, keeping himself low and out of her view. Her clothes snuggled in the crook of her elbow, Kagome held tightly to the jewel around her neck as she crept toward the sound's source. _'I'll get put ten feet into the ground for this one.' _

"Hello?"

"Kagome?"

The young miko turned on a heel, reflexively throwing the rock.

"Ow! What the...I just came to check on you!"

"Kouga..." Kagome breathed a sigh of relief, slumping to the ground.

'_Kouga! What's that bastard doing here?' _InuYasha resisted the urge to spring forth and strangle the life from that worthless wolf, deciding to listen.

Kouga looked around suspiciously, still rubbing the throbbing spot on his head, before setting his gaze back on Kagome. "Mutt-face abandon you?" Kagome merely nodded. "Figures. I wouldn't have."

"Kouga, I'm not really in the mood for this right now. I need to..."

"Just hear me out, Kagome." He rushed forward, taking her hand in his own. Kagome sighed apprehensively before nodding. "I need to talk to you. I've really missed you these past five years."

"Kouga, you..."

"Just let me finish, please. Now, that I finally have you alone, I wish to make you my mate. I want you to stand beside me and lead my pack." Kagome eyes widened as did InuYasha's.

"My life is nothing without you."

"Kouga, it's really...um...tempting, but...but you don't even know me. All you know is that I'm InuYasha's companion and you would rather die than see him gain the upper hand."

"That's not true! Well, part of it is, but that's not the point! I love you, Kagome! And I'm here to prove it!" Without so much as a warning, his lips crashed against hers. InuYasha fell back, his eyes wide in disbelief.

'_He...he's kissing her!'_

Kagome did the only thing she knew...she fought the attack. It _was_ an attack, after all. She didn't want to kiss him. She wanted InuYasha to be her first kiss. How she longed for him to kiss her this way. To feel his lips against hers. To set free the passion burning within her only for him. Losing her train of thought, she fell into the moment, relishing her fantasy that it was InuYasha and not Kouga. InuYasha lost his breath, scampering away, a tree blocking his escape. Kouga's eyes opened, drifting from Kagome's contented face to the bush shielding the crushed hanyou.

'_Now, you see who she belongs to.'_ He closed his eyes again, pulling her closer and deepening the kiss.

'_She's kissing him back!' _Everything he had wanted. Everything he had hoped for. It was all gone. He was left with an empty hole. A knife twisting into his heart...and Kagome was it's wielder. Not knowing of what else to do, he ran. He couldn't watch anymore. Kagome. _His_ Kagome giving in to another man. He ran like he had never ran before, the wind stinging his face. Limbs and thorns tearing at his skin. It was all building up. His blood was boiling. Stopping at a point that was lost even to him, he threw back his head and howled. He screamed as if he could stop time by voice alone, letting everything...every feeling...go with it.

Kagome snapped out of her fantasy, a cry of wretched heartbreak filling her human ears. Opening her eyes, she pulled back, her hand catching Kouga on the mouth before she had even bid it permission.

"Kagome..." The wolf stumbled back, his hand to his lips.

"Leave." Her tone was low and even. Downright scary.

"But, Kagome..."

"I told you I wasn't interested Kouga. You're my friend. Nothing more! So, stop expecting it to be! Now, go!" He had never seen her this mad and thought it best to listen to her warning. Nodding disappointedly, he went on his way. Kagome shook her head in disgust, both at Kouga and herself for allowing it to happen, before again gathering her things and wearily heading back.

* * *

She watched InuYasha crumble to his knees, out of breath from his release. "Poor, InuYasha. Betrayed again. The first was not intentional, but scaring enough. Now, by the one you thought had healed those wounds."

"Yes?"

Her head snapped around at her minion, eyes narrowing dangerously. "You failed."

"We were drove back by..."

"You...FAILED!" Her hand rose above her head, dissipating the searcher in a glow of flaming red energy. She turned with a sadistic smirk to those cowering behind her. "Must I do everything myself! You!" She pointed to the closest creature. "Bring me a bow."

"Yes...Kikyo."

* * *

Kagome walked turbulently back to the village, recalling the events of just moments ago. _'I can't believe I kissed him...ugh!'_ She smiled as the lights of the hut came into view, moving a little faster.

"Kagome! What on earth are you doing out here alone!" Sango dashed from the hut, throwing her arm around Kagome's waist.

Kagome threw her a look of distaste. "Where's InuYasha?"

Sango drew back, her brow furrowing in confusion. "I was going to ask you the same question."

"He didn't stay with me. I wonder if he's okay."

"I'm fine." The hanyou approached from the woods, his arms swinging carelessly at his sides.

"And just where have you been?" Kagome put a hand on her hip, hoping he would catch the sarcasm. He didn't. If he did, he certainly didn't show it.

"None of your damn business." He answered smoothly, gliding past her.

"InuYasha, are...are you alright?" Kagome reached a hand to his shoulder. He shrugged it off, turning to her with a growl. _'He...he growled at me.'_

"Keep your hands off me, you filthy _wench_!"

"InuYasha!" Sango stepped forward in her friend's defense only to be stopped by Kagome's outstretched hand.

"It's okay. Just go inside."

"But, Kagome..."

"Just go." Kagome nodded toward the hut, Sango taking the hint. Keeping her eyes locked on InuYasha, Sango reluctantly entered the hut. "InuYasha, what's this about? What's wrong with you?"

"What do you care?" He turned his back on her and continued on his way. Kagome brought a hand to her heart, torn over whether or not to pursue her interrogation.

"InuYasha, wait!"

"Back off!" He spun around, stopping her in her tracks somewhat painfully. She clutched her side, reading into his amber orbs. His cold amber orbs. "I have nothing to say to you."

"You obviously have _something _to say! You wouldn't act like this if you didn't!"

"Kagome, let it go." His back was again turned as he warned her slowly, through clenched teeth.

"No, tell me what's wrong!"

"You! You're what's wrong!" He slung himself around, pointing an accusing finger in her face.

"Me? What did I do?" She stepped back, obviously offended. InuYasha laughed angrily, her fake innocence adding to his apprehension. He rubbed his temples fiercely, trying to keep his anger in check.

"I don't...just drop it, okay!"

"Not until you tell me what I've done that was so..." She gasped, a hand flying to cover her mouth, "You didn't leave. You saw..."

"Yeah, I saw! I saw everything!"

"Did you see me slap him, then? Wait, why am...why should I feel guilty?"

InuYasha dropped his hands, lifting his head to stare into her now angry orbs. Throwing a hand into the air, he turned away. "You're impossible."

"_I'm_ impossible! I kiss one guy and you expect me to crawl and beg for forgiveness, but you can play hero to a corpse and I'm supposed to look the other way?" She turned around, ignoring the pain, and marched back toward the safety of the hut. "What do _you _care what I do anyway!" That was it. He peeled forward, snatching her arm and bringing her face inches from his own. Kagome flinched at the anger in his eyes, but refused to back down.

"I care a lot about what you do, you conniving little _tramp_!" The slap could be heard throughout the village, bringing Miroku and Sango out of the hut. There stood Kagome, her hand still in the air, and InuYasha reeled to the side, a red area already appearing on his cheek.

"You self-serving, egotistical, lying son of a _bitch_!" All mouths dropped open at the seemingly faultless Kagome's use of words. She really had grown up...and had hung around InuYasha way too long. InuYasha brought a hand to his stinging face, taking a step away from her. She could have slapped him a thousand times and not gotten the drastic effect from her words. She knew his words were usually empty, but he had went too far this time.

"Kagome..."

"I thought I knew you, InuYasha. You want me to leave? I'll leave!" She turned away, her friends immediately resuming their activities in the hut. InuYasha stood, traumatized by her actions.

"You wanna know what happened between me and Kikyo?"

Kagome rotated around to stare at the straightening hanyou, his hand just then leaving his face.

"No, and I don't really care." She turned away again, set on leaving him behind.

"I was going to lay her to rest with the jewel, Kagome. That's why I haven't seen her. Now, if I'm so infatuated with her, why would I send her to Hell?"

Kagome froze, unable to move. Guilt pierced her heart. _'Oh, InuYasha, I'm sorry...' _She turned to meet his wide eyes as he looked past her. "InuYasha, what's..."

"Hello, InuYasha."

Kagome turned, instantly backing toward InuYasha in fright.

"K...Kikyo?"


	9. And The Plot Thickens

A startled Kagome placed herself at InuYasha's side. This was not the Kikyo she remembered. This Kikyou was dark, sadistic. Her black robes mixed with her raven hair as the wind whipped against her. Her eyes no longer held that looming dullness that once plagued them, replaced with a dastardly darkness. And they were locked on InuYasha.

"InuYasha?"

His ears twitched at her shaking whisper. Not breaking his stare from the dark priestess, he snaked an arm around Kagome's waist and gave a reassuring squeeze.

"Still here, are we?"

Kagome allowed herself to meet Kikyo's gaze. The question was directed at her.

"I had hoped that the little confrontation between the two of you would have sent you fleeing. Now, I see that is easier said than done."

Kagome's mouth opened for a retort, and closed with the same quickness after a nudge from the hanyou. He shook his head lightly, bidding her to stay silent.

"What happened to you?" His tone was sinister and full of disgust, his lips curling into a snarl. Kikyo's aura grew violently, her eyes narrowing dangerously.

"_You_ happened to me!"

The force of her outburst drew the villagers and the others from the group out of their huts, Sango immediately edging to Miroku.

"Miroku, that's..."

InuYasha's brow knitted in confusion as he took a step back, pulling Kagome with him.

"After our last meeting, InuYasha, I began to wonder if my way of life was even worth it's effort. I found a new key to survival. I began stealing the lives of demons and witches, bestowing myself with their powers. In time, I became stronger. Able to wipe out villages and raise the dead with the least of energy, behold my searchers." InuYasha twisted around in circles, his hold on the woman at his side never failing. The snarling undead moved in from every angle of the village, unwavering as their leader continued. "Then, I realized I was still not content. Something was missing."

"Oh, yeah! And just what would that be? A halo to go with that angelic purpose of yours?" InuYasha placed his free hand between himself and Kagome, resting it on Tetsusaiga's hilt. Kikyo threw her head back in a terrifying fit of laughter before snapping it forward in a blazing glare.

"_You_!"

Kagome flinched at her intensity, sending a wave a fear throughout her being. "InuYasha, you have to..."

Inuyasha lowered his head to the side, seriousness evident in his steady tone. "I want you to get everyone out of here. Get as far away as you can."

"I won't leave you!" Kagome stood back in defiance, gripping the front of his kimono. Untangling her hands gently, he gingerly pushed her back, snapping the Shikon jewel from her neck.

"You have to or everyone here will die. Now, do as I say." He was serious. He had no intention of backing down. Turning away from her, he drew Tetsusaiga and held it down to his side.

"Kagome, go!" Kagome tearfully nodded before beginning her roundup of the villagers with Sango's help. InuYasha stood in wait until the villagers and the reluctant Kagome were out of site. "Okay, Kikyo,...let's dance."

* * *

Kagome ran ahead of the rest, a trembling Shippo in her arms. _'I never told him I was sorry. He may not...'_

"Kagome!"

The edgy miko turned to her left, the wolf prince dashing from the brush. His gaze was not on her. What was he looking at? She instinctively covered the young kitsune in her embrace as the searcher brought down its weapon.

"I don't think so, pal!" Kouga leaped above Kagome's head, his feet connecting with the creatures skull with enough impact to have severed its head. Landing to her right, he watched the demon slowly rise back to its feet. "Don't these things die?" Kouga went about fighting as Kagome looked around her. Villagers, innocent villagers were being murdered right in front of her eyes. There was nothing she could do.

"Kagome, there's too many!" Sango threw her boomerang, only to have it deflected by a monstrous hand.

"I fear this shall not end the way we hoped!" Miroku threw talisman after talisman to no avail, moving to stand back to back with the other three.

"What do we do!" Shippo cried, burying his face into her shoulder. Kagome's breath came in short gasps as she viewed the ongoing carnage. Her world seemed to spin into a vortex of hatred and blood, all the pain and suffering of the others igniting the power within her. She sat the fox tike at her feet and drew the only weapon she had...a sword. Stepping away from the group, she remembered...

_She set the arrow on it's path, determined to defend the man she loved. Without even the hanyou's knowledge, her weapon saved him from a bloody death, piercing into the heart of his enemy. The creature fell, crumbling under her magic._

Twirling the sword over her head, she stepped forward, face to face with a monster. "We fight!"

* * *

InuYasha dodged the bolt of energy zipping his way, jumping onto a branch and back down. Bringing Tetsusaiga toward her, he was thrown aside by her power. He laid motionless for a moment, gathering his bearings. _'She blocked the...how could...' _

"Have you not realized, InuYasha? You cannot touch me." She moved forward, firmly grasping his chin and forcing him to look at her. "I do not wish to kill you."

"Oh, really? Okay, because I was a little thrown off by half dead monkeys that have been chasing me for the past two weeks!" Clutching her hand, he flipped her over his head and placed Tetsusaiga at her throat. "You don't have to do this, Kikyo! You can stop it!"

"By letting you damn me to torment!" Her eyes flashing burgundy, she sent a jolt through his body, sending him flying into a splintered tree. InuYasha gasped as the wood impaled itself through his side, pain shooting through every inch of his body. "I want you to join me, InuYasha. With the jewel, we can rule this land. You and I."

"I'd rather eat dirt." He spat, pulling himself up. Kikyo clenched her fists at her sides, her every breath making the energy around her stronger.

"Then you shall have your fill of it in your grave!"

* * *

Kagome struggled to keep her strength against the gigantic demon, pushing as hard she could against the sword. The searcher gave one great shove, knocking her to the ground with ease. "Oh, sh..." Just as it lunged for her, she lifted the sword. Clenching her eyes shut, she waited for the impact. Nothing. Opening one eye, the demon stood above her...her sword the only thing keeping it from crushing her.

"Kagome! Are you alright?" Sango ran to her aide with surprising swiftness. Kagome didn't answer. She reached to take hold of the demon's armor, pulling it further onto the sword. In a blast of light and a deafening high pitched shriek, it evaporated. She was quickly to her feet, meeting the exterminator halfway.

"Sango, I want you to tell everyone to aim for the heart."

"The heart?"

"It's their only weakness. Use anything! Just hit the heart!" Sango nodded and complied, spreading the advice to the battling villagers as Kagome picked a fight with another searcher.

'_I have...to get...back to InuYasha!' _The thought blazed in her mind as she killed demon after demon. Looking around her, she noticed one small problem. They just kept coming...

* * *

"I only wanted to lay you to rest!"

"You only wanted to damn me!"

"I killed Naraku to avenge you!"

"You killed him for the jewel!"

InuYasha ducked another blow from Kikyo's magic, rolling back onto his feet. _'She's not hearing anything I have to say!' _He swung Tetsusaiga heavily, missing her miserably. Kikyo crouched down a few feet away, her head lowered as she mumbled. "What is she...shit!" The sword began to burn his hands, forcing him to let it fall. He stared for a moment in shock, before meeting her malevolent smirk.

"What will you do without your precious sword!"

He stood for a moment, unsure of his next move. Did he really want to kill her? No. He wanted to save her. But she wouldn't allow it. She had condemned herself. Cocking an eyebrow, he twisted his head to either side, popping the bones in his neck. "Iron Reaver Soul Stealer!" The attack missed. InuYasha looked around wildly. "Now, where the hell..." Pain. Burning, searing pain shot through his abdomen. Pulling apart his torn kimono, he studied the scorching slashes on his stomach. He turned at her laugh. She held up a hand, revealing glowing green claws.

"Look familiar, love?"

He stared in disbelief, a lump rising in his throat that refused to be swallowed.

"S...Sesshomaru..."

"That's right. He was quite a tough opponent." She straightened, still flexing her claws. "But not tough enough."

"Bitch..."

_Flashback_

"_What the hell do you want?" InuYasha glared at his older brother from the doorway of Naraku's castle, showing no signs of backing down._

"_Still too quick to act, I see. I am not here for you. I have come to take out my own revenge on the beast." His cold eyes never faltered to stare deep with the hanyou's soul. _

"_Why are you helping us?" Kagome asked from behind InuYasha's shoulder._

"_Helping you? I never said I was here to help. Still, you are my brother..."_

"_Half brother!" Miroku corrected sternly. Sesshomaru showed a look of distaste in InuYasha's companion before speaking again._

"_Nevertheless, I will be the one to kill you, InuYasha, when the time is right. I refuse to let you die by another hand." The demon turned slowly, going to occupy himself by keeping the weaker demons at bay. InuYasha let Tetsusaiga fall to his side, a bewildered look crossing his face._

"_Did he just hint that he was going to protect me?" _

_Kagome smiled, leaning around to see his face. "Yeah, in his own way, I think he did..."_

_End Flashback_

Sesshomaru had yet to fulfill his promise to be InuYasha's downfall, but now he knew why. His eyes flickering with anger, he lunged at the priestess. Just what Kikyo had waited for. She quickly dodged, pulling the dagger from her belt.

* * *

Kagome pulled her sword from the pile of ash, turning to Miroku.

"You're pretty good with that, Lady Kagome."

"You don't hang around InuYasha as long as I have and not learn anything." Her smile vanished as she spotted Kouga. He turned to her with a forgiving smile, which she quickly returned. Scanning around them, the realization hit. They had won. The searchers were no more. Sango ran to Miroku, jumping in his arms. Kagome blushed and turned away as their lips met. _'I knew something was going on...' _Kouga was congratulating Shippo on his valiant efforts, the young fox squealing with pride. The young miko drew her attention back toward the village. No InuYasha. _'Please, be okay. I don't know what I'll do if...' _She screamed, clutching her chest as she hit the ground. Kouga was the first aware.

"Kagome!"

The pain grew worse, bring on an insatiable thumping in her ears. Sitting on her knees, she pressed her forehead to the dirt, her eyes tightly closed.

"Kagome, are you hurt? What's wrong?" Kouga kneeled beside her, his hand gingerly laying on her back.

Just as fast and hard as it had hit, the pain ceased. The dull thud in her head slowly died down. She remained still, breathing heavily through apprehension.

"Kagome, are..."

She bolted from her spot on the ground to her feet. Turning her head slightly, she listened as the beating her head was almost inaudible. It was a heartbeat...and it was dying. Without explanation, she jerked a bow from one of the casualties and bolted toward the village.

"Kagome, where are you going?"

"It's InuYasha!"

"What?" Miroku and Sango raced to Kouga's side, each exchanging glances before looking at the frantic girl.

Kagome turned, throwing a quiver over her shoulder. Her eyes reflected complete heartbreak.

"InuYasha...he's dying..."


	10. Revenge for the Fallen

InuYasha staggered back, his hand clutching the puncture in his chest. His thoughts drifted and his energy diminished quickly after the dagger was pulled from his heart. Kikyo laughed cruelly, licking the blood from the blade.

"I had first intended to kill that girl, but I think seeing her face when she finds you dead will be satisfying enough." Pulling her bow from her shoulder, she loaded an arrow into aim. InuYasha struggled for breath, digging his claws into the wound.

"Blades...of Blood!"

Kikyo screeched as she dodged the searing red darts, only one able to strike her on the leg. "You'll pay for that, you..." But he was already out of sight.

* * *

Kagome ran breathlessly back to the deserted village, her every thought leaning toward the hanyou. The beat in her head had long since vanished, leaving her worrying for his safety. _'InuYasha, please, be alright! Please, hold...' _She stopped inches from the first hut, InuYasha stumbling wearily toward her, his hand over his heart. "InuYasha!" The hanyou never acknowledged her before collapsing to the bitterly cold ground. "InuYasha! InuYasha!" Racing to his aid, her body was thrown back. Regaining her senses, she crawled forth and stretched out her hand, immediately withdrawing it as the red shield glimmered. _'My dream...no!' _"InuYasha, listen to me! You've got to get outta there!" The hanyou raised his head, finally aware of her presence. As if in direct reenactment, he pushed to his knees, one hand still pressed to his chest.

Opening his crimson dripping hand, he revealed the jewel in his palm. "No, InuYasha, you don't understand! You have to get up! You have to..."

"Puts new meaning to 'broken hearted', does it not?"

Kagome eyes jerked back and forth from hanyou to priestess as she began to fight determinedly against the shield."InuYasha, move! She's coming for you!"

With the last of his strength, he threw the pink orb in her direction. Kagome watched the jewel's path until it fell, then she turned back to him. His lips silently formed an apology before opening for a shrill shriek of pain to rip from his throat.

"No!" Kagome's eyes never left the spiked blade of Kikyo's sword as she withdrew it, leaving a gushing hole in place of his stomach. "No, InuYasha! No!" The hanyou stayed on his knees for a moment, eyes glazing, before falling forward in a bloody heap. Shaking her head angrily, she set forth an arrow, ripping through Kikyo's magic and allowing her passage. Dropping her bow a few feet back, she fell at his still form, her hands searching for an uninjured place to rest on his stomach. "InuYasha, please...stay with me." The hanyou's eyes fluttered, but did not open as he repeated her name within strangled breaths. Her hands trembled as her thumb stroked his cheek, smearing blood underneath his eye.

"Ka...go...me...I"

"Sssh, don't talk. You need...to save your strength." Kagome bit her lip in restraint from Kikyo's howling laughter behind them.

"Kagome!"

"Kagome!" Miroku and Kouga appeared first, followed closely by Sango and Shippo.

"Oh, no..." Sango's hand rose to her mouth at the sight, Shippo peeking out from behind her leg.

Kagome lowered her head to his chest, no longer able to fight back the tears that threatened. She was going to lose him. She knew it and so did he.

"Kagome, y...you have to...fin...ish...this..."

"No, we have to get you out of you here. You can make it."

"No...Ka...gome...I can't..."

"Don't say that! It's just a little pain! You can survive!" What happened to his 'I can live through anything' attitude? He was giving up so easily. She drew back in disbelief at the smile that crossed his face.

"You...you're...s...startin'...to sound...like...me..." His smile faded. His eyes closed as his head fell limply to the side.

"No...no...please, no! InuYasha, wake up!" Kagome threw back her head in a cry of grief, new rain beginning to fall around her. Sango crouched at Kagome's side for comfort, the men staying back. Kouga even felt a twinge of pain in his heart at the loss of his rival, but that was not enough to keep him silent.

"We've got to get outta here." He nudged the mourning monk beside him, his eyes locked on the smiling priestess awaiting their comeback.

"We can't leave InuYasha!" Sango argued, leaving Kagome's side.

"I agree, Sango, but there's no time." Miroku's eyes read sadness and confusion at the thought of leaving his companion. Kouga growled impatiently making a step toward Kagome.

"If we stay, we'll die. Let's just get Kagome and..."

"INUYASHA!"

All eyes fell on the younger miko, rocking back and forth with the hanyou in her arms. Her entire body shook as she stroked his blood stained silver hair, leaving her hand to rest on the puncture wound in his chest. Her head snapped up, the look she had locked on the priestess sending chills down her comrades' spines.

"Kikyo!" She stood, her voice split in dual tones as she addressed the older miko. "Die." Her hair flowed about her lithe form as she approached closer, Kikyo taking a step back with each step she took forward.

"Do you honestly think you can kill me? You are _my_ reincarnation!"

Kagome's eyes narrowed, her irises completely whiting out in a vengeful glare. A energetic flame licked and spat around her, proving her ability to control the power she never knew she possessed. "I _know_ I can. Unlike InuYasha, I feel _no_ remorse or pity for your damned spirit...not anymore." She lowered her head and stretched her arms out to her sides, her fingertips flickering against the night. "I have no problem with sending you to _Hell_!" Her voice carried throughout the desolate area as she threw her arms toward her nemesis, a scorching energy crackling from her palms. Kikyo was barely able to avoid it, being thrown back even with her shield protecting her. She rose back to her feet in front of her young rival, her face taking on a slightly panicked edge.

'_Where did she receive this power?'_

Miroku lowered his head in a prayer, outstretching his hand just above the hanyou's battered body. "May you find peace, my friend...my brother." Unable to bear it any longer, he stood and turned Sango away with him, unaware of InuYasha's rolling and flickering eyes under his wet bangs.

'_No...Kagome's...in danger...I...I can't...leave...her...' _His golden eyes shot open, a sudden breath lifting his chest. _'Not yet...' _

"It's over, Kikyo!" A renewed burst of energy flowed from the younger miko, clashing with Kikyo's with enough impact to wipe out mountains.

"I...think...not!" Kikyo thrust her dark energy toward the girl, swallowing her pure light in a cloud of darkness. Kagome's joints locked, her entire body writhing in unimaginable pain.

"Kouga, do something!" Shippo jumped up and down, throwing every trick of fox magic that he knew, only to have it reflect off Kikyo's barrier.

"I'm on it!" Kouga burst forward, determined to strip through the shield. Kikyo spotted him from the corner of her eye and threw her free hand toward the oncoming attacker.

"No, you don't!" The impact of her power sent him hurling helplessly into a tree, his body tumbling limply to the ground.

"Kouga!" Sango and Miroku ran to his side, neither noticing the weak hanyou sluggishly rolling onto his stomach.

Digging his claws into the soil, he used all that he had to pull his entire body toward Tetsusaiga. Stopping for breath, his tired eyes widened at the sight of Kagome. Her body convulsed as she used her last drop of energy to fight against the dark magic consuming her. Turning so that his forehead pressed against the ground, he drew his knees up under him with a whispering cry. His chest jerking with strangled breaths, he placed his hands firmly below him to struggle onto all fours._ 'I'm...com...ing...Kagome...'_

"This is useless, girl. Give up now and I will make your deaths quick."

Kagome's face locked into a powerful grimace as her shaking head raised. "N...never!"

Kikyo's arrogant smile faded quickly. "So, be it! May you join him in Hell!"

"I'll see you there first!"

Kikyo's attention turned to the staggering hanyou, leaving Kagome to fall out of her spell. "You...you were dead!"

"Shows...what you know!"

"InuYasha!"

"InuYasha, you're alive!"

Kikyo's entire being shook with both fear and rage. How could he have survived? The two stood staring while Kagome gathered her bearings. Shaking her senses back into place, her eyes watered at the sight of InuYasha. Alive, but dripping from head to toe in his own blood. _'How can he...he was...I saw him...' _She flinched as his eyes met hers for a mere heartbeat before drifting back to Kikyo. _'No, don't fight, InuYasha!' _Her mind began screaming at him, her voice unable to produce even the slightest of squeaks. She closed her eyes as the corner of his mouth lifted in a bloody smile.

'_I've...got...one shot...' _He turned back to Kagome, willing her to look at him. That she did, her chocolate eyes echoing deep into his own. _'I need you...you know what to do...' _She seemed to read into his thoughts, nodding when his face softened into what looked like a plea. InuYasha set his sights back on his old love, waiting for the demonic winds to appear.

"You will not escape death twice!" She folded her hands in front of her, a bubble of red energy spilling from her palms.

Kagome looked on nervously, her bow now lying on her lap with an arrow already placed. _'What are you waiting for, InuYasha? Do it!'_

The hanyou stood, unflinchingly, blinking to clear his sight. The winds were swirling in front of him, but he had yet to see the scar.

"Burn in Hell, half breed!" Kikyo shoved her arms out in front of her, a somatic wave of power racing toward him. As her attack was unleashed, the wind scar sizzled into his view, a wicked smile playing his features.

"You first, bitch! Tetsusaiga!"

Kikyo's eyes widened. A scream tore from her lungs. The attack hit dead on. Kagome saw her cue. She released her enchanted arrow, burrowing it deep into Kikyo's dark possessed heart. A stream of light ripped through village as if daylight was approaching, every hero shielding their eyes. Kagome lowered her arm, viewing the single pile of black robes blowing in the increased wind.

"We did it!" She jumped to her feet, her arms held high above her head in victory. "InuYasha, we did it! InuYasha, we..." Her spirit broke. Her heart fell. His hand still gripping the hilt of his sword, InuYasha laid face down in an unimaginable puddle of his own crimson fluid. "InuYasha..." She tediously approached him, afraid of what she would discover. "InuYasha?" Kneeling beside him, she pulled his hand away from the sword and pulled him against her. To her relief, his eyes fluttered open.

"Kagome...you...okay?"

"I'm fine. You?" Her tearing eyes searched every flowing wound on his body before meeting his withering gaze. "You must...be...in so much pain..."

"It...d...doesn't...hurt...that...bad...anym..."

Kagome dropped her head against his. No warm air coursed her neck. There was no rhythm against her palm on his chest. Just silence. Only death.

"Kagome?" The rest of the group quietly approached, Miroku supporting Kouga. Sango reached a comforting hand to touch Kagome's shoulder, feeling it jerk with her sobs. "Kagome, he saved us. If not for his sacrifice, we'd all be dead." Kagome jerked around, her hold on the man in her arms never failing.

"Is that supposed to make me feel better! Knowing that the idiot killed himself for me!"

"Kagome, I didn't mean..."

"Just leave me." Her hard glare faded as she lowered her head. "Please..." The group obeyed, leaving her to her goodbyes. Her knuckle stroked the side of his pale face, mixing the rain and her tears against his cheek. "You were always...so reckless...for me. Why did you have to be so stupid!" She pulled him up to rest her face in his shoulder, praying for movement. Wishing for an insult. Yearning for a heartbeat. There was nothing. Only the sound of her own muffled sobs and the rain pecking the ground. Her hanyou was gone. Her love had died. Now she had nothing. Nothing but a cursed jewel full of memories.

**No, this is not the end. There are still a few more Chapters to go. Thanks for all the support. Let me know what you think!**


	11. Vision into the Soul, Wish from the Hear...

She was unaware of jut how much time had lapsed. Her body had become numb. Her mind was useless, plagued by incoherent thoughts and memories. _'This isn't fair...' _She looked to the pale face in her lap. The color had long since drained and the blood from his wounds had gone dry, leaving nothing but a still corpse that still held her love. Her heart.

"Kagome?"

She looked tiredly to the fox and her approaching companions. Her eyes were red and streaks of dried tears scarred her cheeks. She had cried so persistently that her eyes had lost all ability to produce moisture.

_**I'm so tired of being here**_

"Kagome, it'll be morning soon. We should lay him to rest before the villagers return." Sango kneeled beside her mourning friend, laying a soothing hand on her back.

"She's right, Kagome." The monk stood patiently behind, using all his power to hold back tears of his own.

"No..." Her strained voice could only manage a shaking whisper. "He would want...to be taken home."

"But how will we move him?"

"I could call Kirara." Sango offered, standing from Kagome's side.

_**Suppressed by all my childish fears**_

"Kagome..." Kouga moved from behind the group, crouching to take Kagome's hand. "I know that this is hard for you...but,"

"Let me guess, he died for our sakes. If not for him, we'd be dead. Well, I'm sorry if I don't feel like rejoicing in my spared life!" She jerked away, pulling the hanyou closer.

"No, of course not. Kagome, he died with honor. The people from this village will hold him as a hero and he will live on as a legend. That is how he would've wanted it."

_**And if you have to leave, I wish that you would just leave**_

Her face softened as she looked down at InuYasha. _'Kouga's right. This is how you would've wanted to...' _

"What about the jewel? Couldn't you use it to resurrect him?" Sango retrieved the small orb, handing it to Kagome.

'_This is the cause of it all.' _Her hand shook as she squeezed the jewel, snapping the dried blood from its surface. _'The reason I came here. The reason I met him. The reason I...lost him. The reason for all our pain. All our sadness.'_

_**Cause your presence still lingers here and it won't leave me alone**_

"I won't do it!"

The jewel sailed carelessly, halting in mid air before shooting back to its releaser.

"Kagome!"

The jewel burst into a radiant light, swallowing both hanyou and human.

"Kagome!"

* * *

She pulled herself from her tight embrace around the hanyou, keeping him resting on her lap.

"Where am I?"

"So, you are the young miko. Kagome, is it not?"

_**These wounds won't seem to heal**_

She gently laid InuYasha down, standing to search for the voice's source. "Who...who's there?"

The silhouette of a woman approached from the white background, striding softly into view.

"Do you truly not know?"

Kagome leaned to squint, drawing her hand to cover her mouth.

"You...you're Midoriko."

The woman smiled and nodded, taking another step toward the girl.

_**This pain is just too real**_

"Do you know why I have summoned you here, Kagome?"

Kagome simply shook her head, kneeling above InuYasha's body.

"The war within the jewel is over."

"But...but what does that have to do with me?"

Midoriko's smile never faltered as she stopped a few feet from Kagome. "It is from your protection and InuYasha's sacrifice that enabled me to overthrow the evil."

_**There's just too much that time cannot erase**_

"Kagome, you and InuYasha, along with the rest of your comrades, have sacrificed a great deal to protect this jewel. As long as the jewel exists, it's power will be desired for dark purposes. Do you not wonder why InuYasha never fulfilled his desire to become a true demon?"

"Because of Kikyo." She lowered her head, laying a hand on the hanyou's shoulder. "He wanted to use it for her."

_**When you cried, I'd wipe away all of your tears**_

"I feel that he did not tell you the whole truth." Midoriko positioned her hands in front of her, their surroundings fading into a beautiful meadow.

"Huh? The well?" Kagome eagerly watched the scene unfold in front of her. InuYasha strode from the forest, lowering himself to his knees beside the well.

"Three years..." He sighed and looked at the jewel dangling from around his neck. He looked so sad. So alone.

_**When you screamed, I'd fight away all of your fears**_

"InuYasha..." Kagome spoke his name, her voice colliding with that of another. Kikyo. InuYasha lifted himself to sit on the edge of the well, his hand still clasped around the jewel.

"Kikyo, to what do I owe this visit?"

"Such cold words. Tell me, where is your shadow? That girl?"

His head lowered. "She's been gone for a while now...to her time."

_**And I held your hand through all of these years**_

"Could that mean that our time has come? Are you ready to finally journey with me?"

InuYasha's face took on one of panic and confusion before settling into certainty. "I...I can't. I have something here to..."

Kikyo cocked her head, her eyes narrowing into slits. "_Her_."

"If I went with you and Kagome returned, she..."

Kagome felt her heart skip at the vision. _'He stayed for my sake?'_

"She has stolen your heart away from me!"

"Kikyo, don't misunderstand! Kagome...she...she fought by my side. She cried for me. She allowed her heart to break...for me. I can't..."

_**But you still have all of me**_

"So, you will remain here for a memory?"

InuYasha pushed himself from the well, sliding the jewel from over his head. "Kikyo, I want to see you at rest, not living like this anymore."

"You want me dead?"

"It's not like that!"

_**You used to captivate me by your resonating light**_

"Then how is it, InuYasha!"

"I...I..."

"I want to hear you say it, InuYasha!"

Kagome flinched as the image vanished. Midoriko approached closer, her eyes glimmering.

"Do you understand now?"

_**Now I'm bound by the life you left behind**_

"He didn't go because he felt sorry for me."

Midoriko shook her head with a smile. "So intelligent, yet so blind."

"Huh?"

_**Your face, it haunts my once pleasant dreams**_

"Kagome, tell me, why didn't you use the Shikon No Tama to give him life again?"

The young miko crawled back to the hanyou's side, drawing him into her arms. "The jewel has brought nothing but pain and sorrow...I refuse to use such a despicable pawn to bring him back." Her heart ached with her own words, Midoriko startling her with a sudden laugh.

"The jewel has conjured more than you think, girl."

_**Your voice, it chased away all the sanity in me**_

"I don't understand." Her thumb stroked the cold palm of his hand as her face distorted in

confusion.

"Your friends and yourself are the key to the jewels very power. Each of you have contributed to the souls that help the jewel to even exist. The monk is wisdom. The slayer and fox are courage. InuYasha is friendship and yourself...love."

_**These wounds won't seem to heal**_

"Your selflessness is what brought me to your aid. You had the jewel in your grasp and yet...you passed up the chance at happiness."

_**This pain is just too real**_

_**

* * *

**_

"Kagome!"

"What is it doing to her!" Sango attempted once more to break the barrier around the pair, but to no avail.

"Kagome!"

* * *

_**There's just too much that time cannot erase**_

"Kagome, you've been so brave. So passionate about protecting your friends. InuYasha, as well. So much, that he gave his life for them."

_**When you cried, I'd wipe away all of your tears**_

"He gave his life for you."

"Don't you think I know that! That doesn't explain to me why I'm here!" The confusion swirling in her mind began to gain control, only making her angry.

_**When you screamed, I'd fight away all of your fears**_

"You're only taking me around in circles!" Kagome was no longer able to hold back her tears of frustration.

_**And I held your hand through all of these years, but you still have...all of me**_

"Then I will show you, child." Midoriko approached slowly, Kagome instinctively pulling InuYasha closer.

_**I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone**_

"Show me? Show me what?"

Midoriko outstretched a hand, placing a finger on Kagome's forehead.

_**And though you're still with me...**_

"Kagome..." Her eyes lit up, shooting a light down her arm that connected with Kagome, "Hear his thoughts! See his memories! Feel...what he felt!"

_**I've been alone all along**_

Kagome jerked in a breath as her mind was flooded with voices and images, all colliding together. Some she knew. Some she did not.

'_And I'm saying you gotta be her...'_

'_Wait! Don't leave me!'_

'_So, you'll stay with me?'_

'_You're not her...'_

'_Th...there are...so...many things...'_

'_Until I met you, I never trusted a living soul...'_

'_Things I regret...'_

'_Go home! See if I care!'_

'_Kagome, I can't see you anymore...'_

Her eyes fluttered, her subconscious overflowing with confusion, worry, anger, jealousy, and sorrow. But there was something else. Could it be...?

'_Why won't you come back?'_

'_I miss you, Kagome.'_

'_I want to hear you say it, InuYasha!'_

'_I love her!'_

Her eyes snapped open, the image still invading her vision.

'_I love Kagome!'_

_**When you cried, I'd wipe away all of your tears**_

"He loved...me?"

_**When you screamed, I'd fight away all of your fears**_

"Yes, he did. Now, what of your wish?"

_**And I held your hand through all of these years**_

"My wish?"

"You've earned it. Tell your deepest desire and the Shikon No Tama shall make it possible and then vanish from this world."

Kagome looked to Midoriko as the jewel was offered to her. Locking her eyes onto InuYasha, she accepted.

_**But you still have...**_

'_He...he loved me. All this time...' _Clasping the jewel between her own small hand and that of the hanyou, she lowered her forehead to his.

_**All of me**_

"I wish..."

**The song use in this chapter is 'My Immortal' By Evanescence. **


	12. Revelation in the Eyes of Love

"_Kagome!"_

"_We've got to get her out of there!"_

A portion of reality became audible to her unconscious ears as the purple glow jolted from hanyou to human, throwing both bodies into convulsions. She could see Midoriko fading into the image of her ranting friends outside the barrier. Before letting her sight fail completely, Midoriko ran her hand down the young girl's hair.

"Just as I thought..."

That was the last thing Kagome heard as her eyes squeezed shut, catapulting her into a world of darkness. Her mind continued to register the sounds and shuffles outside her closed lids, somewhat letting her hold on to consciousness. Her body felt weak and yet, exuberating at the same time.

"Ow..." She sat up as the shield began to diminish, rubbing fiercely at her sore eyes. Kouga was instantly at her side, searching her for wounds.

"Kagome, what the hell happened back there?"

Kagome looked around at her old surroundings, her eyes falling on the still unmoving body. "Nothing...it was a silly wish, that's all." She crawled over to where he lay, this time leaving him to rest on the ground.

"Kagome, wha...what did you wish for?" Sango stepped up, Miroku by her side. Kagome looked between the two at their entangled hands.

"I wished for everyone to be happy." _'I guess that doesn't include me...' _She looked on lovingly at the hanyou, stroking the side of his face. Allowing one last tear to fall onto his skin, she pressed her lips ever so gently to his forehead. "Goodbye, InuYasha."

* * *

**2 Weeks Later**

"Sango! Hey, Sango! Watch this!" The young boy threw his weapon, slicing through the apple on Shippo's sweat beading head before retracting back to him. "Pretty good, huh, sis?" Kohaku had appeared, unscathed, shortly after their return to the village. Kagome's wish had proved to be worth it...

"That's great, Kohaku! Keep practicing!" The proud smile Sango held for her sibling faded as she caught a glimpse of Kagome.

"She'll be alright, Sango." Miroku approached quietly, laying down the wood he had been working with. "She just needs time, as do we all."

"Maybe things will get better when the village is finished and everyone can get back to their lives." Sango's eyes were teased with tears as Kagome leaned across the mound of dirt to lay flowers at the headstone. "She's lost everything, Miroku. She can't get back to her family. The man she so obviously loved is gone. What does she have?"

"She has us." Miroku pointed out, snaking an arm around the exterminator. "Speaking of us..." He leaned in smoothly to steal her lips, but was pushed back.

"Not now, Miroku. We can't let her see."

"You'll have to tell her sooner or later, Sango!"

"Marriage is the last thing on that poor girl's mind!"

"Congratulations."

"Huh?" Monk and slayer twisted their heads toward the miko's gentle face.

"I said, congratulations. It's about time."

"Kagome, we didn't..."

Kagome held out a hand to silence the exterminator, keeping her smile intact. "It's okay. I'm fine, now. Really." She grazed past them, all eyes following her weary retreat into the forest. Sango looked to Miroku, flames blazing in her dark eyes.

"Idiot!" Miroku cowered into the nearest hut, hiding from the rabid slayer on his heels.

Kouga waited patiently until everyone was out of sight before moving quietly to the decorated mound. "Stupid dog! How could you do this to her! All she ever wanted to do was love you, but...but you wouldn't let her." Tossing a single flower on the dirt, he turned away, feeling a touch of remorse. Twisting to look somewhat softly over his shoulder, he sighed. "Anyways, I guess, I'm gonna miss you, dog face." The ground shook behind him. The wind blew against him like a whip. His footsteps halted. He didn't allow himself to breathe as he turned back, light exploding over his face. "It...it can't be..."

* * *

'_What does my life mean now?'_ Her pace was dramatically slow as she allowed her thoughts to antagonize her for the hundredth time in only a few hours. _'He loved me. Kikyo knew that he loved...me. It's because of me that he's...gone.' _Approaching her recurrent destination, she slid down the side of the well, drawing her knees to her chest. _'I wanted everyone to be happy. Kohaku's back, we all have each other, and everyone seems to be doing fine, except...InuYasha, I hope you're happy...'_ She sat lost in her thoughts, the wind blowing defiantly around her. _'...wherever you are.'_ Fighting back another set of tears, she hugged herself tightly against the new onset of drastic winds. She closed her eyes, letting her mind drag her back to that haunting night...when InuYasha's life slipped away right in her arms. "Why...why can't I let go?"

"_Kagome..."_

It was like a whisper in the wind, sending a shiver down her spine. It echoed throughout the area in a loud whisper, startling her from her contemplations. Searching about the empty space, she raised to her knees, still trying to shield herself from the now seemingly dangerous winds. No more sound. Only the wind could be heard now.

"Get it together, girl! He's not here!" She shook her head in disgust on how easily she thought he was near. Standing sharply, she walked as best she could against the invisible force that seemingly wanted her to stay there. "What's going on?" Her arm covering her eyes, she fought hard to take steps, her gaze following the ground. The grass in front of her began to light up, causing her out of curiosity to unshield her face. She scanned the ground, following the light, until she locked onto a pair of feet...bare feet...red...silver...gold. "No, no, no, no...it's not...it can't..." She took a couple of steps back as a shy smile plastered itself to the hanyou's face, his transparent body beginning to fill in. Kagome suddenly felt the urge to faint as he stepped toward her. The wind whipped around him, the light moving with him in every step that he took.

"Kagome..."

Her heart went into overdrive, screaming to her brain that it was a hallucination...until he touched her. His claw traced gently down her face, leaving his hand to rest on her cheek.

"Inu...Yasha...?"

"Yeah, it's me."

"Am...uh...am I dreaming?"

The hanyou shook his head.

"Are...are you a...a...ghost?"

"Hell no, I ain't no ghost!"

Kagome's teeth gleamed in an exhilarating smile as she threw herself into his chest, her arms squeezing tightly around his stomach.

"InuYasha!"

He closed his eyes and widened his smile, encircling his arms around her, one on her back and the other on the back of her head. Kagome felt his chest rise against her, and she realized he was sniffing her hair. The sensation she received was enough to almost pull her down to her knees. He was alive. He was there. He was holding her. Subduing her fears with a single touch as he had so many times before. He remained mute, but his gently caresses on her back let her know that everything was going to be alright. No...it wasn't. She pulled back, a pang of guilt settling in the pit of her stomach.

"InuYasha, I'm sorry...that..."

"Don't even say it. Kikyo didn't deserve Hell, but she did deserve what she got. So, just forget about it."

Kagome nodded, laying her head back against his collar. _'It hurts him to talk about it. Maybe he does love me, but that...'_

"Kagome?"

"Yeah?" She felt him shake a little as he took a step back.

"H...how do you feel about me?" She blinked silently, caught off guard by his straightforwardness. By the desperate quiver in his voice, she knew...he wanted her to lay her heart out in front of him. The retreating step he had taken only seconds ago contradicted itself as he stepped forward, leaning slightly to place mere centimeters between them. His breath reflected of her own, sucking the strength from her legs. Her composure wavered slightly, calling upon all the strength she had to remain upright. "Do you...love me?"

She found herself tongue tied and winded, having difficulty focusing on reality. His feelings for her had be exposed without his knowledge, now, he wanted to see into her heart. Her soul. _'I love you. Say it! Don't let this chance go!'_ Her mouth moved silently, unable to produce sound as her heart pounded the breath from her lungs. He tilted his head, those feverish, flaming, golden eyes sending waves of adrenaline throughout her being.

"Kagome?"

She shivered at the warm breath cascading across her lips, his whisper threatening her ability to answer. "InuYasha...I...I..." _'Say it!'_ "...I love you." She awaited his reaction, surprised when the only movement was the corners of his mouth lifting.

"Good." He closed the distance between them, his lips caressing aggressively over hers. Kagome felt the breath tear from her lungs, her mind dizzying as he bent her into him. It was beyond insane. Exhilarating. Exciting. There were no words. It was more than she had ever dreamed it would be. She went slack in his arms, feeling the urge to cry and laugh at the same time. In the blink of eye, she took fistfuls of his kimono, pulling him down closer as she began to match his intensity. Without breaking away, he pried her fingers from the fabric and placed her hand over his heart. Kagome smiled against his mouth, feeling his heart pound against her palm just as hers had. Throwing her other arm around his neck, she felt the burning desire to kiss him like this forever. To hold onto him without yielding. She felt herself getting stronger while InuYasha began to feel slightly weak. Black mixed with silver as their hair blew around their connected forms as a whirl of golden light broke from beneath them, lighting the entire area.

"Kagome...InuYasha..."The voice was heard, but not acknowledged as the two became lost in each other, an intense power flickering about between them. "Time shall not render what you have found. It shall be eternal. The hanyou life has been granted unto you, although leaving you human. This is the greatest gift I am able to give...in return for all the gifts you have bestowed upon others. Live long and happy, my friends..." The voice echoed through the night air as the lights around the two faded. Kagome pulled back, satisfying her body's urge to breathe. She brought a trembling hand to his lips as a the last flicker of power electrified through his eyes. Both stood, panting for breath, relishing the sight of one another.

"InuYasha, are you..."

"I'm fine. Kagome..." He pulled her into another embrace, resting his chin atop her head. Kagome eagerly returned the gesture, oblivious to InuYasha's grateful smile to the shadowed figure disappearing into the woods. _'Thank you, Midoriko...' _He squeezed the girl tighter, fearing to let her go. Afraid she would again slip away from him. "Kagome...I have to...I mean, I want to..."

"It's okay, InuYasha. I know." She pulled back, looking deep into his troubled eyes.

"No, you don't understand...I ..."

"You don't have to say it."

"Yes, I do, damn it! It's gone unsaid for far too long! Kagome, I...I love you!" The young woman smiled, lunging back into his chest, nearly knocking the breath out of him. His face softened and his voice shook. "I've loved you for so long...I...I just didn't know how to handle it. Now, I know..." Kagome raised her head as he leaned down, his lips brushing against her own. "Kagome..." Her entire body trembled. "...I love you." He leaned in for another kiss, but...

"Yeah! Go for it, InuYasha!"

"Hooray!"

"Why you..."

Kagome laughed loudly as InuYasha attacked the eavesdroppers in the bushes, all screaming at once how they only came in search of his roaming spirit. How they wanted to lay him to rest. Oh, they were so dead...

"Bullshit! Get back here!"

She watched her friends and her hanyou. Kouga had finally realized her heart belonged to someone else. Miroku and Sango had realized their feelings for one another. InuYasha was alive and obviously well.

"No, InuYasha, not Tetsusaiga!"

Midoriko's final words replayed in her mind. She had given Kagome the greatest gift. _'I will live as long as InuYasha. Sure, I could die, but he'll be by my side. I know that, now. I am still a human. He is still a hanyou. They are my friends. This is the way it's supposed to be.'_

"Stop running! Get back here, you creeps!"

'_I don't have to live forever. This is my life. This is my world. This is all the life I need...I guess, you could say that they are my immortal...'_

**There you have it. I want to thank everyone for the reviews, good and bad. Thanks, David. **


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